A Heart with No Hope
by DiddyKF1
Summary: For Diddy Kong, life in Kongo Bongo only seems to have gotten miserable after an adventure with Donkey Kong to throw King K. Rool overboard, especially after being rejected by the Kongs. Upon his return to school, things get even worse, with all the kids bullying him upon his arrival, and no one wants to help him with anything, except DK. Will things ever improve for poor Diddy?
1. Rejection

_**Hey, everyone! Man, it's taken me forever to think of new FanFiction material, but now I think I might just have something that could be worthwhile.**_

_**For my first "new" Donkey Kong Country story of 2015, I've decided to take a trip back in time; to a time when a little monkey by the name of Diddy Kong, whom is now wildly popular, once thought he would never have any future ahead of him after what had happened in that dreadful adventure with his uncle, Donkey Kong. Here, we'll be seeing what it must have been like for him to go through such unbearable pain. Only time would tell when life for Diddy would ever be happy.**_

_**Anyways, enjoy this first chapter of "A Heart with No Hope"**_

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_The Day of K. Rool's Defeat_

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In the middle of a huge ocean stood an average-sized island filled with jungles, beaches, caves and glaciers. The jungles were the most well-known portion of this island. A famous tribe of apes, known as the Kongs, had been living on this island for many years, and since they had enjoyed a long-going musical culture, they had decided to name this island "Kongo Bongo".

Kongo Bongo seemed like the place to be on this glorious day. In the heart of the jungle, several Kongs were celebrating what had just become the greatest achievement for their big hero.

This big hero was a young yet large gorilla with huge muscles that gave him the strength to knock out anything with one punch. The only thing he wore was a red necktie. He was celebrated as the leader of the tribe and the ruler of the Kong throne. His name was Donkey Kong.

DK, along with his nephew, Diddy Kong, had only just succeeded in rescuing their lost bananas after a hard-fought battle with their arch-nemesis, King K. Rool, the leader of the crocodile group, known as the Kremlings. Following the battle and the subsequent return to their home island, DK was immediately met with happy cheers as his friends and family saluted him as their hero.

At this moment, DK was just looking into his banana hoard after being notified by his great-grandfather, Cranky Kong, about a "surprise" awaiting him in his cave under his tree house, which he shared with Diddy.

The ape looked inside the cave, and he could not believe his eyes …

Hundreds of bananas were stacked all the way up to the ceiling of the cave! The entire hoard had been saved, and all was well!

"I'm sure they'll soon be enough to last for years," DK said to himself as he admired the sight of his revived banana hoard.

Just then, he heard the sound of a few voices coming from just outside the open area of the tree house. It wasn't long before DK realized that the voices were coming from kids.

The gorilla turned around and left the banana cave to pick up any sense of what these kids were talking about.

"If Donkey Kong's really the strongest ape in all of Kongo Bongo, then why did he bother bringing that little pipsqueak along?" came the first voice.

"I still can't believe he got himself sealed in that barrel all because he's too weak to defend himself!" said the second voice.

"That poor little Diddy shouldn't have bothered going," said the third voice, "I'm sure he knew he was gonna receive absolutely nothing once he and his uncle returned."

"And I especially can't believe he claimed to have been the one to knock out King K. Rool!" added the first kid.

"Well, I don't know if it's really true or not, but I personally prefer to believe that it was a lie. No one ever should listen to that noisy little chatterbox, Diddy Kong!" said the second kid.

As DK listened to those unfriendly voices, his heart started racing with worry for a little monkey whom he cared for very much.

DK quickly remembered what had happened after he and Diddy returned to Kongo Bongo after the battle with K. Rool …

Diddy had successfully knocked out K. Rool by throwing a cannonball at his head while he was attempting to choke DK to death. However, when this detail was spread to the other Kongs, no one believed it. Everyone simply started laughing at the poor monkey. DK had done everything he could to help Diddy throw his negative thoughts away throughout the adventure, but after being laughed at by the other Kongs, Diddy simply felt rejected all over again, and he left the celebrations, unable to bear the pain and embarrassment that had broken his heart.

To DK, Diddy was no waste of space. In fact, other than Cranky, Diddy was the only family DK had. Diddy Kong just so happened to be the nephew of Donkey Kong. DK had raised Diddy after the poor monkey's parents mysteriously disappeared, and he hadn't seen them since. DK took his nephew in as his roommate and his apprentice. Diddy had looked up to DK and had dreamed of being a hero just like him. However, after what had happened today, he felt that it was a dream that would never come true. He had spent the majority of his childhood being bullied by other kids due to his small size, his weak muscles and his cowardice.

DK threw away all of those happy thoughts about being celebrated as the hero of the Kongs, and he placed all of his new thoughts on Diddy. He had watched his nephew being laughed at just a few minutes ago. He watched as he left the celebrations with a very sad look on his face. It was the saddest look DK had ever seen on Diddy.

The big gorilla turned to the ladder of the tree house and climbed up to the porch. Then, he slowly walked up to the front door and stepped into the small place which he called "home".

The house had only six rooms in all …

There was the living room which included a large sofa, a hammock that DK occasionally used, a tire which Diddy often rested on, and an average TV with an SNES and a channel box connected to it. To the left was DK's bedroom, where the big hero himself slept. To the right was Diddy's bedroom, which was often the only place where anyone could find the little sidekick of Donkey Kong due to him sometimes not wanting to come out of there because of how the other Kongs treated him. Three other rooms were at the back of the house; from left to right, the doors led to the bathroom, the closet and, finally, the kitchen.

It was all packed into a rather small house, but DK and Diddy never minded much about their small living space. It seemed to be at the standards for Kongo Bongo.

As DK walked into the living room and closed the front door, he heard the sound of some sad sobbing, which he knew could only be the voice of his nephew whom had just had his heart shattered.

The ape walked over and noticed Diddy lying lazily in his little tire swing. The monkey wore a red tank top and a red baseball cap, and he had a prehensile tail behind his waist. Tears were pouring from his eyes as he sobbed miserably. To DK, the sound of Diddy's crying always broke his heart. He loved Diddy as a nephew, and he never liked to see him sad. This was a moment in which it was time for DK to go into comfort mode for his little nephew.

DK slowly made his way to the tire swing and stopped right in front of Diddy. The little monkey looked at DK with cheeks that were as red as his clothes.

"Why, DK?" asked Diddy in a miserable voice, "Why!? Why did everyone have to reject me!?"

"Diddy," sighed DK, "I really can't think of an answer to that question that wouldn't make you feel even worse. I really wish I could help you."

"I was sure that everyone would finally see me as something, if anything at all," sobbed Diddy as he tried to fight off a possible emotional meltdown, "I was even the one to knock out K. Rool, and I was able to take down a few big guys and save your life a few times, but even then nobody takes any notice of me! I thought that people would stop bullying me and thinking that I was nothing but a worthless little pipsqueak, but everyone still thinks I'm just a little piece of rotten banana!"

"Diddy, … little buddy, … (sigh) … you know that either way, I'm still very proud of you," said DK in a warm voice, "You're the bravest and strongest little monkey I've ever known in my life."

"You're just saying that to cheer me up, aren't you!?" said Diddy with anger building up in his voice.

"No, I would never say something just to cheer you up, little buddy," replied DK, "Don't you remember nailing Queen B., … or all of those strong points you had?"

"Why would I wanna remember them when it all seems pointless at the end!? Why would I wanna remember everything you said to me!?" argued Diddy.

This caught DK off guard. His heart nearly stopped. Hearing such words like that felt very sad and heartbreaking for him, given all the encouragement he had given Diddy during their adventure. He knew it couldn't be pointless encouragement. Diddy had proven himself to DK as a strong little sidekick, but he felt that Diddy's feelings as a strong little sidekick were quickly falling apart.

"Diddy, … that really hurt me," said DK, "I can't believe you just said that! After all the encouragement I gave you, you just wanna go back to beating yourself up and thinking that my encouragement was pointless? I thought you had dreamed of being a hero just like me, and those words are something that a hero would never say. I gave you that encouragement because I wanted to help you get a little stronger with each step we took, and if you were to throw that all away right now, think of all the regret you would feel afterward. Think about how I would feel. Do you really think I would throw away any encouragement you gave me?"

As he listened to his uncle's words, Diddy felt all of his anger being replaced with regret mixed with even more sadness. He immediately realized that he should not have said those harsh words to DK. He was already wanting to take back those words. He knew he was wrong. He _had _proven himself to DK as a great sidekick for a first-timer, and he remembered how his uncle's encouragement only boosted his confidence with each step they took towards reclaiming their stolen bananas. If all that encouragement were to be shoved out the window, perhaps they would both feel worthless towards each other, which was something they never wanted to see happen to them.

"I'm so sorry, DK!" cried Diddy as leaned onto his side and let his tears pour onto his tire swing, "I never meant to hurt your feelings! I just don't know what to do anymore! I'm already feeling like the most worthless monkey on Kongo Bongo, even after everything we've been through! What if no one ever does see me as a hero!?"

"Aww, Diddy, I'm sure it'll happen someday," said DK as he fought back a few tears from feeling so sorry for poor Diddy.

"Do you really think anyone will ever see me as a hero, DK? Anyone!? Ever!?" sobbed Diddy.

As DK struggled to fight off more tears, he suddenly felt something shoving him backwards. The gorilla took a few steps back and fell down right onto the couch. He looked up and noticed that Diddy was now lying on top of him, having completely broken down. His sobs and cries had turned into uncontrollable weeps and heavy sniffles from not maintaining his breathing stability. The monkey had thrown his arms around DK's neck to embrace him in a hug which he desperately hoped DK would return.

DK looked up at Diddy and felt very sad for him. His heartbeat merely slowed down as he looked in Diddy's reddened eyes which were virtually spilling tears like a huge waterfall running down his ruined face.

The ape wrapped his arms around his nephew's back and began to cradle him comfortably on their sofa.

"Awww. There, there, little buddy. Ssshh. It's okay, Diddy. Your uncle DK's gotcha," whispered DK in a soft voice as he hugged Diddy and cradled him like a baby.

Diddy simply refused to let go of DK's neck. All he wanted now was warmth and comfort from his loving uncle, the one who had trained him to become what he still thought was far away from his future.

DK sat up and kept Diddy on his lap, then he grabbed several tissues and began wiping Diddy's face with them. The monkey gradually began to calm down until his cries were reduced to occasional leftover hiccups.

"I'm really so sorry, DK," said Diddy miserably.

"It's okay, Diddy. I know how hard it must be for you. You're not the only one in the world who has dealt with this issue," said DK.

"W-what if I go to school tomorrow, … and … (gulp) … it'll get w-w-wor-worse than ever!?" said Diddy worryingly.

DK thought about Diddy's predicament. He knew all about how Diddy had been constantly bullied at school, and he knew what these worries were for. He had remembered what those three kids in the jungle had said just a few minutes ago. However, he did NOT want to upset Diddy. He wanted his nephew to be a happy little monkey, not a sad little monkey.

"Sh-shou-should I go to s-school tomorrow, D-DK?" asked a trembling Diddy.

DK simply patted Diddy's head and continued hugging him.

"Diddy, my little buddy, … if there's at least one other Kong you can impress other than me, it's Wrinkly. After all, she likes you as a student. You've got good grades, and you have at least a friend or two," said DK.

"I still don't have any friends at Kong Kollege," replied Diddy sadly, "They're all a bunch of big jerks! I don't know if I could survive a day of school after they've probably heard about what happened over the last two days. They'll probably have found out about how I got sealed in a barrel, and how everyone rejected me at that celebration. No Kong respects me at all outside this house! Whenever I set foot outside that front door, I'm just pure laughing stock for everyone, especially after this catastrophe!"

"Now, Diddy, all I ask of you is to try not to think too much about it," said DK, "If anyone tries to pester you about it at school, just ignore them."

"Well, … (gulp) … I'll try," answered a dreadfully nervous Diddy.

"Besides, I'm not the only Kong who respects you," explained DK, "There's Wrinkly. She's a very friendly professor. I know Funky considers you to be someone to hangout with. You shouldn't feel so alone when we're not together. You have at least a few friends."

Diddy thought about it for a minute and recalled how Wrinkly would praise him for his excellent grades. He was seemingly one of the smartest students in her class, even though he was the least popular (and the weakest) Kong of them all. He also soon remembered that Funky was always a "cool dude" to spend time with whenever he was bored and didn't want to come home so soon.

"You're right, big buddy," said Diddy in a still-rather-sad voice, "I guess I do have a few others to talk to, but you're still the only one I'd ever wanna look up to."

"Now that's the spirit I'm looking for, little buddy," said DK encouragingly, "There's no need to feel so worthless or unwanted. If you try your best, then with each passing day you'll feel a little stronger."

Diddy finally grinned for the first time since the moment he and DK defeated K. Rool. He hugged DK around the neck again and cuddled into him for another fluffy family embrace.

DK once again wrapped his arms around Diddy's back and cuddled him in return.

"I love you, little Diddy-buddy," whispered DK, expressing his family love towards his nephew.

"I love you, too, big Donkey-buddy," replied Diddy in a gentle whisper as his heart settled down into a calmed beat.

"Are you feeling okay, little buddy?" asked DK.

Diddy let out one last sniffle leftover from his breakdown, and he faintly grinned at his uncle.

"I'm feeling a little better, but it could be a while before I actually manage to pull all of my emotions together," answered Diddy.

"Just promise me that you'll have an okay day at school tomorrow, Diddy. Don't let those pests push you around, okay?" said DK.

"Okay," replied Diddy nervously.

"That's my boy, Diddy," said DK warmly, "That's my little buddy."

"DK?" said Diddy as he looked up at his uncle.

"Yes, Diddy?" replied DK as he gently bear hugged his nephew.

"Thanks for all the encouragement you gave me on that adventure. Even if nobody gave me any credit for what happened, I still think you're a great uncle, and you're just as great a heroism trainer for me," said Diddy.

"Aww, you're welcome, little buddy," said DK with a warm grin, stroking Diddy's still-red cheeks, "You know I hate it when you're sad, and I would do anything to help you feel better. That's what friends and family are for."

Diddy grinned back at DK and hugged him even more, feeling happy to have such a wonderful parental figure by his side whenever he was down.

"Now then, I think Cranky's expecting me. Do you wanna come with me so that you won't be alone?" offered DK.

Diddy gulped several times after hearing that. After being laughed at by all those other Kongs, the last thing he wanted was to show his face up at another celebration in which he would most likely be thrown away like a brown banana, since DK won all the credit from the other Kongs.

"I don't think I wanna go, big buddy. You can go ahead and enjoy what the others have to offer," answered Diddy.

"Are you sure, little buddy? I understand why you wouldn't wanna go, but if I could at least do anything to help you feel better, the least I could do is get you out of the house," said DK.

"As much as that sounds pleasant, I feel okay with staying in the house. Heck, I might even get out and go vine-swinging or something just to get some air later," said Diddy.

DK sighed and patted Diddy's head, feeling disappointed that he couldn't get him out of the house.

"Okay, little buddy. If you're really okay with it, you can stay and relax here for now, but once I get back, you know I'll be wanting to bring you outside for some fresh air in some way or another," said DK.

The two Kongs grinned at each other and shared a small giggle or two, having found DK's words to be rather funny. Monkey humor was always a winning thing for life on Kongo Bongo!

With that, the duo finally ended their hug, and DK got off the couch and headed for the front door.

"Promise me you'll be out for at least a few minutes, little buddy," said DK as he opened the door.

"I will, big buddy," promised Diddy as he watched his uncle leave the house and close the front door, leaving him alone once again.

Diddy then went into his bedroom and gazed at the not-so-many things he had around. Other than his cute bed and its awesome mahogany red blanket, the little monkey owned a huge fancy card collection, a couple of musical instruments since he loved to play music, especially the bongo drums, a few model cars due to his desire for cars which he was still only just getting into, a Game Boy which he didn't play very often, and tons of monkey bars attached to his ceiling which he exercised on everyday. It hardly looked like much at all, but he was satisfied with what he had right now. He was sure he would get more things for his room in later years, such as whatever awesome new thing Nintendo could come up with next!

Wanting to drive his boredom away, Diddy walked over to his chair which sat in front of his desk where he would do his homework for school and often write and draw stuff for his personal interest, and he brought the chair in front of his bongo drums. Then, he sat down and gave his drums a few light taps before he started to think of some new rhythms.

If anything could keep this monkey having fun, music was always an answer, especially when he did it himself! Believe it or not, DK, Funky, and even Candy had actually adored Diddy's musicianship! This little guy was very skilled behind any set of drums; bongos or rock drums!

In almost no time, Diddy was playing away on his bongos! He enjoyed the sound of those awesome beats of Kongo Bongo in any way they could be played! He simply started mashing those rhythms like they were no tricky obstacle. He was one little monkey who was one heck of a drummer!

Diddy played for fifteen minutes until he grew exhausted from so much playing. He even began to feel very thirsty. After all, he hadn't eaten or drunken anything since before he and DK returned home.

The little monkey stood up and left his bedroom, then he headed into the kitchen and pulled a small cup from the cupboard. He rushed over to the counter and grabbed a pitcher full of banana juice, then he poured some of it into his cup. Finally, he set the pitcher down and gulped down his drink.

The juice instantly soothed his taste buds like a warming sensation that was nothing short of irresistible. He hadn't had anything decent to drink all week! All the drinks he had while he was adventuring with DK were simply small spots of water after every few miles or so.

After finishing his drink, Diddy decided to take DK's advice about going outside for some air, and he rushed out the front door of the house and leaped off the porch, right onto a vine. In no time, the monkey was swinging around the jungle, being as he was: the most acrobatic simian in Kongo Bongo! With each vine he swung on, he felt more energetic and happy to simply be a small little monkey! He loved vine-swinging any time of the day, even at night!

Before he knew it, the sun was beginning to set over the western horizon, and Diddy realized that he had been swinging around for at least a few hours or so, stopping only to rest for a few minutes before swinging again.

The simian guided himself back home, and in almost no time he had found that sweet home tree house! Diddy jumped off the last vine with a spinning somersault, and he landed on the porch right on his feet like a pro!

Finally, Diddy opened the front door and walked into the house. Much to his delight, DK was already there, sitting on the couch.

"Oh, hey there, little buddy," greeted DK with a warm smile.

"Hey, big buddy," answered Diddy with a flashy grin.

"I take it you had a good time while you were by yourself?" guessed DK.

"I sure did! I played the bongos for a little while, then I decided I needed some air and I simply swung on vines for a few hours," explained Diddy.

"Sounds like you had fun even though you were alone," said DK as Diddy sat next to him on the couch.

"I will admit, big buddy. Sometimes I do feel so alone while I'm having fun," said Diddy as his grin slowly faded, "I don't know whether or not I should go out and find someone to play with or not. I mean, … I've never had the heart to ask anyone to play with me or be a friend of mine. I've been shy my whole life, and I've been picked on a lot."

"Is it really true that you don't have any friends at Kong Kollege?" asked DK, wanting to be sure if Diddy was telling the truth on that subject earlier.

Diddy looked down and sighed.

"Yes. I'm sad to say it's true. There's like fifteen other students there, but every one of them has bullied me in one way or another; Kongs and Kremlings," explained Diddy, "When I'm there, the only one I can really talk to is Wrinkly, even if her husband always rants about me being so weak and useless."

"But that's because Wrinkly has a much kinder heart. She's very pleasant towards her family, especially you and me," said DK, "Like I said before, you shouldn't have to worry about what those other kids say about you, because you know they're wrong."

"I hope they're wrong," said Diddy, "I really wanted to prove myself as a hero, but nobody cared but you."

"Well, Diddy, for someone your age, it can be difficult. Twelve-year-old's don't find so much praise and respect so easily. You still have some things to learn from me, even if you learned quite a lot from that adventure," said DK, "Either way, I'm happy that you're getting there."

"If only it would feel that way," sighed Diddy.

"I'll tell you what. Why don't you just focus on whatever schoolwork you may have to do once you arrive at school tomorrow morning, okay?" said DK.

"Okay, big buddy," replied Diddy.

"Now then, why don't you give me a nice family hug before you head off to bed? It's getting late, you know," said DK.

"Why can't I stay up a little longer and simply do goofy things with you?" asked Diddy.

This earned a giggle from DK.

"Diddy, little buddy, I may be your heroism trainer and all, but I'm also your uncle. I'm the one who raised ya, little buddy. You still gotta live by my rules, Diddy!" said DK.

Diddy giggled as he listened to DK's "family" humor, and he jumped onto DK's lap and hugged him around the neck.

DK hugged Diddy around his back and cuddled his nephew for several minutes.

After a few minutes, Diddy began to yawn, showing signs that he was tired after such a long adventure, … and a long evening of having fun by himself.

"Ready to hit the hay, little buddy?" asked DK in a whisper.

"Yeah, I guess so, big buddy," replied Diddy weakly.

DK took off Diddy's cap and planted a small kiss on his forehead, making him giggle from the sensations that slightly tickled him.

Diddy returned the kiss on DK's cheek, and they nuzzled each others' faces.

"I love you, little buddy," whispered DK.

"I love you, too, big buddy," replied Diddy.

"Have some sweet dreams, okay?" said DK.

"I'll try my best, pal," answered Diddy.

With that, Diddy slowly slid off DK's lap, taking his cap with him, and walked over to his bedroom door, exchanging one more grin with DK.

"Goodnight, Diddy," said DK.

"Goodnight, DK," replied Diddy as he finally went into his bedroom and closed the door.

As Diddy set his cap on top of his bedside drawer and climbed into bed, he began to feel doubtful about going to school the next day. He was sure that everyone would bully him even more, but he didn't want this predicament to take over his mind again this soon. No way! He had to get some proper sleep right now.

The little monkey covered himself up to his neck in his blankets and rested his head on his three soft pillows. Then, he finally closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep, with hopes that tomorrow would be a better day than today.

He hoped that a good return to school would be ahead of him.

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_**Well, this wraps up the opening for "A Heart with No Hope". I hope you liked this opening for this story. I'll have more coming up in chapter two, such as Diddy's first day back to Kong Kollege! Will his classmates have a change of heart about him after his wild adventure with DK, or will the little monkey continue to be bullied by his many enemies at school?**_

_**Donkey Kong Country and its characters belong to Nintendo.**_

_**NOTE: I may use OC's later on.**_

_**Anyways, have a good weekend, and I'll see you in chapter two! ;)**_


	2. The Worst School Day Ever

_**Happy Monday, everyone! Time to get down with Diddy's first day back to school! How well will things go for him?**_

_**Let's find out!**_

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The sun was rising over the southeastern horizon on Kongo Bongo, indicating the start of a fresh new day. The animals in the jungle were already up and about, with the many birds chirping their most lovable morning tunes.

Diddy woke up in his bed after having a mixture of good and bad dreams. He still had his dreams about being a hero, but he also had some nightmares about still being bullied at school. It was a fear he couldn't get over. He figured it was still possible after what happened to him yesterday at the return party.

Just then, he heard a knock on his door as he was sitting up in his bed and stretching his arms while yawning.

Sure enough, the door opened and in came DK.

"Rise and shine, little buddy," the ape greeted with a warm morning smile, "Good morning, sleepyhead."

"Good morning, big buddy," replied Diddy in a weak voice.

DK walked over to Diddy and sat down on the little monkey's bed.

"How are you feeling this morning, Diddy?" asked DK as he petted his nephew's head.

"Some good dreams, but also a few bad ones," sighed Diddy, "I'm still worried that the others might bully me."

"I'm sure you'll be okay, little buddy," said DK gently, "Remember what I told you yesterday. Just focus on your schoolwork and don't let them push you around."

"What if they do?" asked Diddy with a worried expression.

"Just try your best to ignore them, and if that doesn't work, you could fight 'em back while Wrinkly's not looking," suggested DK.

"As if I'd wanna disappoint her," said Diddy sarcastically.

"Sometimes, when kids bully you, ya gotta stand up to them and fight back," said DK, "Remember those times during our adventure when you proved that you could kick some real butt?"

"Yes. I remember them all," replied Diddy.

"So, if you fight 'em back, then they'll want to bully you less. They'll have learned a valuable lesson in bullying," added DK.

"I hope," sighed Diddy.

"Aw, Diddy, my little buddy," said DK gently as he picked up Diddy and held him on his lap for some family hugs, "Everything will be okay, little buddy."

"Are you sure, big buddy?" asked Diddy as he cuddled into DK.

"I'm sure, my precious little sweetie-buddy," replied DK in his family-loving attitude.

The two Kongs hugged each other on Diddy's bed for several minutes. Diddy wished this moment could last forever, but he knew he had to go to school whether he liked it or not.

"Why don't you go ahead and jump into the shower, little buddy? I'll get your breakfast ready," said DK.

"Okay, pal," replied Diddy softly as he slowly slid off DK's lap and walked out of his room.

While DK went into the kitchen to make Diddy's breakfast, Diddy went into the bathroom to clean himself up. He really needed a shower after such a sweat-pouring adventure with his uncle.

As Diddy closed the bathroom door and took off his red clothes, he looked to his left and found another pair of clothes sitting on the counter in front of the mirror. He felt thankful that he didn't have to go rummaging through his drawers to find another fresh pair. After all, he and DK only washed their clothes once a week, which was why Diddy had at least ten pairs of the same red clothes; just a simple red baseball cap and a red tank top.

Soon, the little monkey turned the shower knob, and the shower head began pouring some fresh warm water into the bathtub. Diddy stepped in and shut the curtains, then he let the warm water sink into his flesh and fur. The sensations were instantly soothing him as if he hadn't felt this good in weeks. The water felt very nice, and he almost didn't want to get out of the tub.

However, Diddy knew that he couldn't stay in the shower forever.

The simian reached for a bottle of mango-flavored shampoo, and he poured some on a small orange sponge. Then, he began rubbing the soap all over himself, reaching for any spots that could be leftover from his adventure with DK, and any possible blood stains that may have been left behind by an enemy attack. Thankfully, there were no blood stains, but there were still some dirty spots on him that he hadn't noticed in two whole days.

Diddy quickly washed all his spots away until he was a fresh-looking monkey again, for the first time in over three days!

Finally, the monkey turned the shower head off and stepped out of the tub. Then, he reached for a red towel and started drying himself off as fast as he could.

Within five minutes, Diddy was dry and sparkly clean! He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled at the sight of his fresh pale flesh and brown fur. The monkey then put on his clean tank top and his cap, and he looked at himself again.

"I haven't looked this good in a long while," he said to himself, "I feel like I could show up at a fancy place and people could smile at me, … if only anyone could think I was somebody."

Then …

"Diddy, breakfast is ready!" called DK.

Diddy quickly put all his thoughts aside and scurried out of the bathroom, then he turned towards the kitchen and ran in on all fours.

The little simian was treated to the sight of some gorgeous banana pancakes on a plate, with banana bites and maple syrup poured all over them! Next to the plate was a cup filled to the brim with banana juice!

"WOW!" shouted Diddy excitedly as he licked his lips, "DK, YOU'RE THE BEST!"

The monkey happily ran up to a chair by a partially open window and sat down, then he set his plate in front of him and started taking bites out of his pancakes while allowing the fresh air from the outdoors to further soothe his fur.

"Hehe! I know how much you love pancakes, little buddy! I just had to make some for you to give you a fresh start to this beautiful-looking day!" said DK.

The two Kongs smiled at each other while Diddy kept eating his pancakes like a five-yea-old. Banana pancakes always excited him so much, even when he was feeling so down, and DK knew it all too well!

Diddy had scarfed down both of his pancakes within four minutes, and he quickly began to gulp his juice down to wash the rest of the pancakes down his throat.

As Diddy drank his juice, DK noticed something that wasn't quite right yet.

"Did you remember to brush your teeth, little buddy?" asked DK.

Diddy suddenly realized that he had forgotten to brush his teeth before breakfast.

"Oops," he said with wide eyes of shock.

The monkey instantly finished his juice and scurried right back into the bathroom.

"Hurry, little buddy! You don't wanna be late!" called DK.

Diddy grabbed his toothbrush and poured a small bit of toothpaste on it, then he got the brush wet with sink water, and he began brushing his teeth. He didn't want to go back to school with bad breath.

It took only a minute for Diddy to hit all the spots on his teeth, and he soon rinsed out the toothpaste and looked at his teeth in the mirror. They looked shinier than they had been for days!

"Now I feel like a new guy," he commented to himself.

Then, he put his toothbrush away and left the bathroom again.

"Are your teeth nice and clean?" asked DK.

"Yep!" answered Diddy happily as he rushed back into his room and grabbed his backpack, which was filled with schoolbooks and his schoolwork.

As Diddy put his backpack on his back, with the straps over his shoulders, he exchanged another faint grin with DK.

DK could tell that Diddy was still feeling nervous. He could read his nephew like a book.

The monkey walked up to his uncle and embraced him in another hug. The ape sat down on the floor and pulled Diddy onto his lap once more, and he returned the gentle hug.

"It's okay, little Diddy-buddy. I know how you feel," whispered DK.

"(sigh) I wish I didn't have to be so nervous," said Diddy.

"Just try your best to have a good day, … okay, little buddy?" said DK.

Diddy gulped again and nervously looked at DK, while the ape stuffed a banana sandwich in a plastic bag into Diddy's backpack for his school lunch, along with a juice box filled with banana juice.

"I'll try," the monkey replied.

"That's my boy," said DK gently, "I love you, little Diddy-buddy."

"I love you, too, big Donkey-buddy," replied Diddy in a cute voice, earning a grin from DK.

"I'll be right here when you get home. When you get home, you're free to jump right onto my lap and snuggle with me," said DK.

Diddy giggled at that idea.

"You're such a loving uncle, DK," said Diddy.

"And you're such a loving nephew, too, Diddy," replied DK.

The two Kongs kissed each others' faces for a minute, then …

They heard the sound of a light tick. They knew what that meant …

DK looked at the clock and saw that it was 8 AM.

"Oh, dear. You better hurry up, little buddy. It's already eight o'clock," said DK.

Diddy's eyes grew wide as he heard that. He knew that class started at 8:30. If he wasn't out the door now, he'd probably be late for school!

"Better start running, little buddy!" said DK as Diddy jumped off his lap and headed for the front door.

Diddy exchanged one last look at DK as his hand reached the doorknob. DK knew he was still feeling somewhat reluctant about going back to school.

DK signaled his nephew to go ahead and start his journey.

"(sigh) Bye, DK," said Diddy in a shy voice.

"Goodbye, Diddy," replied DK as he watched his nephew nervously open the door and step outside.

Diddy closed the door and walked to the edge of the porch. Then, he slid down the ladder and started running on all fours through the jungle towards Kong Kollege.

At times like these, Diddy always felt reluctant about even going to Kong Kollege. He remembered all those rough times he had there. He was one of the smallest of his sixteen-student class. He was one of eight Kongs in the class, along with eight Kremlings. However, each and every one of his fifteen classmates despised him for how small he was, how much a coward he acted around them, how defenseless he was whenever they started to beat him down, and for how weak he was altogether. He felt like he didn't fit into this class, even though his aging great grandmother was the teacher at the school.

After what felt like ages running endlessly in the Kongo Jungle, Diddy could see the schoolhouse where he was taught, … and also bullied …

Kong Kollege.

Diddy hid behind a tree and peeked at the grounds in front of the school. To his dismay, several of his classmates were there, being the same idiots they always were.

The little monkey listened in and soon realized what they were talking about …

"Did you see how the others simply threw him out of the celebrations yesterday!? It was so amusing!" said an orangutan.

"I still can't believe he claimed to be the one who knocked out our leader with a cannonball!" said a Kremling.

"What an idiotic mistake!" said a second Kremling.

"And a pointless one, too!" said a young gorilla.

Diddy quickly registered that they were talking about him. He hadn't even set foot on the grounds and he was already being chastised. He wanted to turn around and run straight home from here, but he knew he couldn't afford to miss another day of school. What would happen if he missed too many assignments from Wrinkly?

The nervous monkey took a few deep breaths, gathered up his courage and stepped out from behind the tree, ultimately revealing himself to his enemies as he approached the school front.

As he had predicted, the kids all noticed Diddy and gasped.

"Well, well, well, look who's here!" said the orangutan.

"The cannonball pipsqueak!" said the first Kremling.

The four kids all laughed heartlessly at Diddy, much to his chagrin.

"OH, SHUT YOUR MOUTHS, YA BIG LOSERS!" yelled Diddy furiously, pretending to not be frightened by them.

"Oooh!" said the four kids.

"Ooh. Not very friendly," said the second Kremling, "Boys, … I think it's time we teach the little weakling how to respect his superiors!"

"Really!? I hope you don't mean yourselves, you idiots!" Diddy shot back.

The enemies all gasped in shock after hearing such harsh words from Diddy.

"How dare you talk to us like that! YOU FILTHY FREAK!" shouted the young gorilla.

Diddy was taken aback by those words, and his eyes began to grow wide when he realized he was beginning to look like a coward again.

"C'mon, boys! Let's take this wimp down! He can enter the building with some knuckle sandwiches!" said the orangutan.

But then …

The schoolhouse's bell started ringing, denoting that the morning class session was about to begin.

"Haha! Saved by the bell!" teased Diddy as Wrinkly came outside.

She came out just in time to watch the four bullies put their fists down.

"Okay, you boys better not be threatening my brightest pupil again, are you?" said Wrinkly.

"Oh, uh, … not at all," said the orangutan.

Wrinkly wasn't convinced.

"Uh, huh. I can tell whether spoken words are truthful or not. I've lived a very long life, you know. Now all of you get inside!" the teacher ordered.

The four bullies all exchanged evil death glares at Diddy as they walked into the schoolhouse.

Wrinkly turned to Diddy and gently placed her hands on his shoulders.

"It feels great to see you again, Diddy," said Wrinkly kindly, "DK told me yesterday how brave you were on that painful adventure. I even heard you knocked out K. Rool with a cannonball."

"Which actually is true," sighed Diddy, "Although no one else believes me, not even your husband."

"Oh, don't worry about Cranky. He's been that way for a long time now," reassured Wrinkly.

"I almost didn't wanna come today, … because I was sure that everyone would tease me and push me around," said Diddy.

"Now, don't you worry about your classmates, my young companion," said Wrinkly, "All I ask of you is to take care of yourself and be sure to get all of your work done."

"I'll try my best, Wrinkly," said Diddy nervously.

"That's a good pupil. In we go," said Wrinkly as she stepped aside to allow Diddy into the schoolhouse.

The aged Kong followed her great grandson into the one-room schoolhouse, where fifteen other kids were already seated.

Diddy recognized each and every one of them … through previous unfortunate circumstances. There wasn't a single person he didn't know.

Each and every one of them looked at Diddy with either shocked or angry faces. Diddy knew those angry faces could only be death glares. It was quite clear; poor Diddy had no friends here at school.

The little monkey tried his best to ignore the death glares, and he took his usual seat in the front row.

Thankfully, the seat next to him was vacant, meaning that there was room for more students to join this class, although this hadn't happened lately.

As Wrinkly walked across the room, she took notice of some of the evil looks Diddy was receiving from his classmates. This was enough to infuriate her.

"Alright, children! Enough is enough with all of these angry looks! Stop it with this bullying nonsense and let's get to work!" she ordered.

This managed to get the entire class' attention, and they all stopped glaring at Diddy.

"Now then, class, it's time for today's lesson on history," announced Wrinkly as she took to the front of the room in front of the blackboard, "I sure hope you took some time looking over your notes prior to today's lesson."

The sixteen students all got their notebooks out, … and from there the session went like any other class session. Very few students, including Diddy, listened carefully to everything Wrinkly said, and they took notes on everything that was essential to them. Some of the other students, however, were very lazy, and they took very poor notes, along with some dull doodles all over their notebook pages.

It was no wonder Wrinkly respected roughly half the class. In fact, Diddy seemed to be the only student who got along well with her. In fact, Diddy was seemingly Wrinkly's favorite student. She was the only one he could talk to in a formal conversation in this building, given how harsh his classmates were to him.

Over the next three and a half hours, everything went on as normal. Diddy listened very well, and correctly answered every question Wrinkly asked her, much to the annoyance of his classmates. They thought it was stupid that Diddy was Wrinky's favorite pupil.

By the time the clock struck noon, the lesson was finally over. Needless to say, Diddy was the most well-behaved.

"Okay, class. It's time for lunch break!" announced Wrinkly.

Diddy's classmates all put their notebooks away as quickly as they could, and they scurried out of the building, possibly to escape from their most-hated classmate.

Diddy, however, took his time putting his school supplies back into his backpack. He always preferred to keep them in there since he could never trust any of his classmates to not steal them when he or Wrinkly wasn't looking.

The elder Kong noticed Diddy's nervous behavior and walked up to his smartest pupil.

"Are you feeling okay, Diddy?" asked Wrinkly worryingly.

"I wish I was," answered Diddy in a shy-sounding voice.

"Look, I understand you don't wanna eat lunch out in the school front with the others, but I need some time by myself, too, you know. How else can I grade your assignments if you were to watch me do it?" explained Wrinkly.

"I'm sorry, Wrinkly," said Diddy sadly.

"Aw, don't you worry, my little dear," said Wrinkly kindly, "I can help you feel more comfortable here. Besides, I've heard a little story about another Kong that's about your age who may wanna come here someday. I'm sure it would be a nice fit."

"Would he be considered a friendly Kong for someone like me?" asked Diddy curiously.

"I think so," answered Wrinkly, "Plus, I hear it's a 'she'."

"Oh, sorry," said Diddy, realizing his mistake in saying 'he'.

"It's okay, Diddy. I'll tell you what. I set up a small place for you well away from the others if you'd like to eat your lunch there. It's over in the corner of the school's porch.

"Okay, Wrinkly. Thank you very much," said Diddy with a faint grin.

"You're welcome, my dear," replied Wrinkly as Diddy turned around and left the room.

As the little monkey left the room, he looked to his right and found a small bench with one seat attached. He quickly figured out that it was the tiny lunch space Wrinkly had referred to. Diddy looked around and saw that it was well away from where all of his classmates sat, which were areas scattered throughout the school front.

Diddy tiptoed over to his new lunch seat while nobody was looking, and he quietly sat down and pulled out his sandwich and juice box.

At last, Diddy could enjoy the awesomeness of DK's homemade banana sandwiches! The first bite he took, his tongue was soothed by the glorious banana taste! He thought it was the best sandwich he ever had!

"_DK probably made it so good to make my first day back a little enjoyable!" _he thought to himself as he slowly ate his sandwich.

Diddy finished his sandwich in just three minutes, then he opened his juice box and poked the straw in through the hole before taking a sip of that delicious banana juice.

The monkey's taste buds were once again treated to that delightful juicy taste of bananas as it gradually went down his throat.

While, Diddy was drinking his juice, he heard a voice yelling angrily from a faraway area where five other students were eating.

"Man! I forgot to get a copy of that assignment!" yelled another orangutan.

Diddy instantly recognized that orangutan. His fur was light brown, and his eyes were brown. He was bigger (and stronger) than everyone else in the class.

"_Aw, man! I was hoping I wouldn't have to hear from Fomali today!" _thought Diddy as he glared at the sight of the big orangutan.

As far as Diddy was concerned, Fomali was the worst of all. They were the worst of enemies, and they had gotten into way too many fights by now, all of which Fomali would win since he was so strong compared to Diddy, who was pretty much nothing when compared to Fomali.

Diddy watched as Fomali stood up from his seat and walked back into the school building.

"Schoolwork slacker," whispered Diddy as Fomali disappeared from his sight.

Soon, Diddy finished his juice, he stood up and put his backpack back on, then he grabbed his empty juice box and plastic bag from the tiny table.

The simian took one step into the schoolhouse to throw his trash away, and his eyes grew wide at what he saw …

Fomali appeared to be rummaging through Diddy's desk for some odd reason. This caught the monkey off guard.

Fomali looked over and noticed Diddy tossing his garbage in the waist basket.

"HEY! GET OUT OF MY DESK!" screamed Diddy, catching Wrinkly's attention.

The teacher looked up and caught the sight of Fomali closing Diddy's desk as the monkey was angrily stomping up to the villainous orangutan.

"FOMALI!" fumed Wrinkly "WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT LOOKING THROUGH OTHER STUDENTS' PRIVATE PROPERTIES!?"

"Oh, about a million times!" said Fomali sarcastically.

"You know something? I think you lied about forgetting your assignment. You did this just so you could draw my attention span away, giving you an opportunity to rummage through other students' schoolwork. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF!" yelled Wrinkly.

"I feel more ashamed about this monkey's terrible writing!" said Fomali as he held some papers in his hand.

"GIMME THOSE!" yelled Diddy as he took the papers and began to read them, "You know I don't have horrible handwriting! Even Wrinkly knows it!"

"Alright then, Fomali! What have you smuggled into Diddy's desk!?" asked Fomali, her voice sounding as if she was demanding an immediate answer.

That answer soon came … from the first paper Diddy read …

"_I am going to kill you, little weakling pipsqueak …_

_-Fomali"_

The second paper …

"_Die, Diddy!"_

The third paper …

"_Diddy Kong shall be murdered by my powerful jaws!"_

A Kremling, … obviously.

Diddy's eyes began to shed tears after reading these horrible death threats. He couldn't bear the pain from this horrible torture.

"Diddy, are you okay?" asked Wrinkly with worry, having seen Diddy's tears leak from his eyes.

Diddy tearfully looked at Wrinkly, who gave him a worried expression. Then, he looked at Fomali. The orangutan was grinning evilly at his arch-nemesis.

"I'm sorry, Wrinkly. I think I need to be by myself for a few minutes," cried Diddy.

Before Wrinkly could answer, Diddy was already running towards the door.

"I was hoping you'd say that," whispered Fomali.

Just as Diddy ran through the door, several other Kongs and Kremlings grabbed him by the limbs before he could escape back to his private table.

"HEY! LET GO OF ME, YOU MINDLESS CREEPS!" screamed Diddy as his classmates held him by the arms to prevent him from making another move.

"You've deserved this for many months now!" shouted one of the Kremlings.

"And now you're gonna get it!" added another gorilla.

Before Diddy could process anymore thoughts, he suddenly felt a sharp punch smashing his back.

Fomali had punched Diddy right in the back, allowing the other classmates to release their grip on him.

Diddy fell to the ground in front of his classmates. Then, he attempted to get himself back up, only for Fomali to pick him up by the front of his tank top instead.

"You are the worst that Kongo Bongo has to offer, and now you'll be paying us for your big fat lies!" teased Fomali, "YOU DISGUSTING FREAK!"

Diddy tried his best to give his archenemy an angry look, but then Fomali punched Diddy again, this time directly in his right eye, before dropping him to the ground.

The poor monkey went down with a thud, which was enough to put a painful bump on his face. His right eye turned purple, and he was unable to open it.

A Kremling then kicked him right in the butt, while a gorilla punched his forehead, which damaged his baseball cap. That same Kremling then kicked his cap's brim, causing half of it to rip off.

Fomali then picked up Diddy again and punched him directly in the stomach. The pain was instant, and it hurt him so badly that he felt like he was going to vomit.

But the evil orangutan wasn't finished yet …

He gave Diddy another punch in the chest which tore a piece of his tank top off.

"FREAK!" the students all yelled at Diddy.

"BOYS AND GIRLS! WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU ALL THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" screamed Wrinkly from outside the school's doorway.

The bullies all looked at Wrinkly and bailed out of the scene, except for Fomali, who continued to hold Diddy by his torn tank top.

Wrinkly noticed Diddy's horrible condition and damaged clothes. He looked as if he had been beaten down in the middle of the jungle by some Kremlings.

**(A/N: It's meant to be an exact replica of that disturbing "Game Over" screen on DKC1.)**

"FOMALI! PUT HIM DOWN AT ONCE! DO YOU HEAR ME!?" demanded Wrinkly.

"As you command, my dear professor!" replied Fomali.

The big bully charged up his arm and threw poor Diddy directly towards Wrinkly.

The old Kong's eyes grew wide as she watched Diddy coming towards her with a frightened scream.

Wrinkly opened her arms just as Diddy approached her in an effort to catch him …

… but it was too late.

Diddy went flying past Wrinkly, into the schoolhouse, and his head smashed against the blackboard before he came down, landing on top of Wrinkly's desk, knocking over many of her belongings in the process and scattering them all over the floor.

Wrinkly gasped in horror as she watched her great grandson's fall ruin her desk. She felt traumatized by this horrible beating Diddy had received. She felt so sad for the poor little monkey.

"OH, MY GOODNESS!" Wrinkly panicked as she raced over to Diddy's aid.

The elder Kong lifted her great grandson off the desk and sat in her chair with Diddy on her lap. She leaked a few tears from her eyes as she looked at Diddy …

Diddy's right eye was deep purple, unable to open. His lips were bleeding, part of his red tank top was ripped off, along with half of his cap's brim, and his cap was also scrunched up at the top. His back was bruised, along with his face, just below his nose. Tears were pouring heavily from both of his eyes, even from his injured right eye. His butt also had a horrible dark spot on it. He was only lucky that his backpack was unharmed, as well as his schoolwork and schoolbooks inside. His tail also appeared to be unharmed, too.

"Aww, dear. The poor little one," said Wrinkly with tears, "I'm so sorry you had to go through this on your first day back after quite an exhausting adventure."

"(sniffle) It's not … (sniffle) … y-yo-your fault, … W-W-W-Wrinkly," sobbed Diddy miserably.

"Aw, there, there, Diddy. Everything will be alright," said Wrinkly, "Just relax for a few-"

"No!" cried Diddy as his sobs turned to bawls, "I'm just gonna go home!"

Wrinkly was taken aback by those words. She would never expect Diddy to just run back home after receiving a beating like this.

"Diddy, we still have our afternoon lesson coming up," reminded Wrinkly.

"I don't think I can bear being anywhere near these bullies any longer!" yelled Diddy through his crying, "I just wanna be alone!"

Wrinkly sighed. She knew how horrible Diddy was feeling, and she knew it was best if he spent some time alone with his uncle, DK.

"Okay, Diddy. I'll let you go," said Wrinkly, picking up a few pieces of paper and slipping them into Diddy's backpack, "Here are the assignments you'll need for next week."

"Thanks, Wrinkly," said Diddy.

"You're welcome, Diddy. Now why don't you go ahead and head home so your uncle DK can take care of you," said Wrinkly kindly as she let Diddy off her lap and allowed him to get back on his feet.

"Okay, Wrinkly. Thanks for your appreciation of my well-being," said Diddy.

"You're welcome, my dear," replied Wrinkly, "Now get yourself home so you can get some rest."

"See you later, Wrinkly," said Diddy as he limped towards the door.

"See you soon, Diddy," called Wrinkly as she watched her favorite pupil leave the schoolhouse in dismay, limping from the pains all over his body.

She then turned to the other students whom had beaten up the poor little monkey.

"How dare you!? ALL OF YOU! How could you do that to that poor little simian!? You should be ashamed of yourselves!" she screamed in fury.

The kids simply exchanged hopelessly confused glances at Wrinkly.

"I'm hereby giving you all two weeks of detention, starting tomorrow! You will each write five hundred words about why you should NOT pick on your fellow classmates! I've never been so disappointed in my pupils throughout my entire teaching career!" finished Wrinkly.

The students simply looked at each other with odd glances, knowing they were in for weeks worth of schooling torture from Wrinkly.

_Meanwhile …_

Donkey Kong had only just returned home after a romantic date with his girlfriend, Candy Kong. He thought it was the sweetest time of his life.

But his day didn't stay so sweet for long …

It was only 1:15 PM when he heard a knock on the front door.

"Well, well, I wonder who this could be?" DK asked himself as he walked up to the front door and opened it.

As the big ape saw who it was, he gasped and nearly jolted back in horror …

* * *

_**Aw, dear. It looks like DK is about to face one of his worst living nightmares, just as Diddy has. What could be next for them? Will DK be able to cheer up Diddy, or will the little monkey stay sad forever?**_

_**We'll find out in chapter three.**_

_**Until then, ... goodnight ... and good luck.**_

_**NOTE: The character Fomali is owned by Magiku Maggi-Dixie Kong. Used with permission.**_


	3. With family around, there's hope

_**Hi, everyone! I'm back with chapter three of "A Heart with No Hope".**_

_**I'd say it's time for a little more DKxDiddy bonding, wouldn't you say?**_

* * *

Donkey Kong looked down and fixed his eyes on an extremely brutalized Diddy Kong. His clothes were pretty much destroyed, and his injuries looked like they could take weeks to heal. The ape felt so awe-stricken to see his little nephew like this.

"Diddy?" said DK with wide eyes of shock.

"Hi, DK," bawled Diddy in such a weak, miserable voice that could barely be heard.

Thankfully, DK was able to hear Diddy's weakened voice.

"Are you okay, little buddy?" asked DK worryingly.

"No!" wept Diddy as he began crying like a baby, "I've just had the worst day of my life!"

DK stepped aside and allowed his nephew to enter the house.

Diddy limped very slowly across the doorway, having endured a very long limp back home from Kong Kollege after leaving an hour early.

DK closed the front door and watched Diddy suddenly fall to the floor, unable to stand on his tired feet any longer.

The ape felt heartbroken for his nephew, and he now wanted nothing else in the world other than a way to bring Diddy back into happiness. It seemed that it would never happen again at the rate they were going.

DK lifted Diddy off the floor and carried him into his room, setting the poor monkey down on his cute little bed. Then, he rushed into the bathroom and rummaged through some drawers until he found several medication bottles which were guaranteed to help him with his injuries.

The gorilla then took the bottles with him back to Diddy's room and lied down on the bed next to his horribly-beaten-down nephew.

"Aww, my poor little Diddy-buddy," said DK sadly as he opened one of the medicine bottles and poured some liquid on a white washcloth, "What happened today, my sweet little nephew?"

"I don't know how to tell you, big buddy," replied Diddy, still crying as his uncle started rubbing his chest with the medicine, "The morning class seemed to go well, … even though the others were already teasing me before I had even arrived. They threatened to beat me down, but the bell rang before they could. Wrinkly tried to help me feel as comfortable as I could, but what happened during lunch was when everything fell apart."

"Really?" said DK as he listened to Diddy's very sad story.

"Yeah. Wrinkly had set up a small place for me to eat my lunch in peace, which I did. Then, Fomali burst into the schoolroom and lied to Wrinkly about missing an assignment. While she was looking for a copy of the assignment, Fomali smuggled some papers into my desk, which I caught him doing. I took the papers, and … (sniffle) … they … (gulp) … (sniffle) … THEY TURNED OUT TO BE DEATH THREATS!"

"Death threats!?" said DK in deep shock.

"DEATH THREATS BY ALL FIFTEEN OF MY CLASSMATES! THEY ALL WANNA MURDER ME!" screamed Diddy.

DK quickly tried to hush Diddy to stop the screaming.

"Whoa! Whoa, whoa! Diddy! Take it easy, okay? Just calm down a little for me, please," said DK as he held Diddy's chest with one hand in an effort to calm him down.

Diddy took several deep breaths before continuing …

"Then I stepped outside to get myself away from Fomali, but the others were already at the doorway, … (sniffle) … and they grabbed hold of me before I could escape! Then, they all started beating me up in such horrible ways … (bawl) … until Fomali finally threw me back into the schoolroom and smashed my head against the blackboard. I landed on Wrinkly's desk, and her supplies scattered everywhere!"

"Oh, my goodness!" said a horrified DK.

"Wrinkly tried to give me some comfort, … (sniffle) … but then I told her that I wanted to be alone, so she let me go for the day," finished Diddy.

"Aww, my poor little Diddy," said DK as he tried to keep himself from sobbing while still rubbing Diddy's injuries with medicine.

"I don't know what to do anymore!" said Diddy as he began weeping like a baby again.

DK simply lifted Diddy and pulled him in for a very tight bear hug. Diddy threw his arms around DK's neck and cuddled into him in return.

"All of this over an adventure that saw me get no credit!" cried Diddy, "They spied on the celebrations, and they heard me shout out that I was the one who knocked out K. Rool with a cannonball! They all thought I was a liar!"

"Aww, Diddy," said DK sadly.

"Even worse, … (bawls) … FOMALI NOW THINKS I'M A FFRREEAAKK!" screamed Diddy.

That last word caught DK completely off guard. His heart almost stopped as he heard the word 'freak'. His eyes were wide with horror, and his mouth was wide open in shock.

"THEY ALL CALLED ME A FREAK BEFORE FOMALI THREW ME INTO THE BLACKBOARD!" yelled Diddy.

"They called you a freak!?" said a horrified DK.

"YES, THEY DID!" answered Diddy, "I'M OFFICIALLY THE MOST-HATED LIVING CREATURE ON KONGO BONGO!"

DK was taken aback by those words. With every word that came out of Diddy's mouth, he felt that it would never be possible to give him any comfort at all.

"Diddy!" said DK in a scolding tone.

This managed to get Diddy's attention, and he immediately stopped bawling his eyes and looked into DK's eyes, assuming that his uncle was going to punish him for that last sentence he spat out.

However, DK quickly brought himself back into his gentle, kind, comforting tone, and he gently kept hugging his nephew.

"Now I wanna make something perfectly clear, my little nephew. You … are … NOT … a freak," stated DK, "No one, and I mean _**no one**_, … ever calls my little nephew a freak! A little monkey with a long, prehensile tail, weaker muscles than all others, and still trying to learn how to gain that courage of heroism … is NOT classified as a freak. Secondly, you are NOT the most hated living creature on Kongo Bongo, my little buddy. All the horrible things they say about you is not true. You are no disgrace, Diddy. You are my strong little sidekick, and I'm sure you're a lot stronger than everyone thinks you are. No one can assume what another's capable of, and no one lets horrible insults from others control their lives. I don't want you to live a life controlled by what others say about you, because none of it is true. I know what you're capable of, and they don't. I want you to remember all that, Diddy."

Diddy listened carefully to every one of DK's words. He knew his uncle could only be right. DK always knew his stuff when it came to being that parental-type figure towards Diddy. How could he possibly be wrong?

"I'm so sorry, DK," said Diddy as he continued to sob, "It's just that I've been bullied so many times in the past that I don't know whether they're lying or not."

"Diddy, … I know how you feel, and I understand why you're feeling so upset, but I've told you this many times before. You can't keep beating yourself up all the time, or else it could effect you later in life," said DK.

"I know, DK!" replied Diddy, weeping once again, "I just can't find any happiness anywhere! I don't know if I'll ever be happy again in my life!"

"Aww, Diddy. I'm sure you'll be happy again sometime soon," said DK gently.

"Are you sure, DK?" asked Diddy.

"I'm one hundred percent sure, Diddy," answered DK.

"I don't know if I could feel sure about it, though," said Diddy sadly, still feeling doubtful, "I don't know if I'll ever wanna go back to school again!"

"What!?" said a shocked DK, "But you gotta keep going to school, little buddy. How could you be considered a proper hero without good school grades? Besides, your grades are so good."

"I don't feel wanted at Kong Kollege anymore, even if I'm Wrinkly's favorite student, or even if I'm the smartest in her class, with all those excellent grades! I don't wanna walk up to that building again!" cried Diddy.

"Awww, Diddy, my poor little buddy. You can't just drop out of school just because you don't have any friends," said DK.

"I'm never going back there, DK! I never wanna go anywhere near those monsters again!" shouted Diddy.

"Diddy, little buddy, you know there's nothing else we can do. You will have to go back sooner or later," explained DK.

Diddy sensed there being another option, though …

"Could you get me home-schooled?" the little monkey asked with his heart pounding with hope.

DK simply exchanged a sad look with his nephew. He knew that what he was about to say would probably tear his young heart apart … again.

"I wish I could get you educated here at home, … but we don't have the money for that. I'd have to pay hundreds of banana coins a month just to get you home-schooled," explained DK.

Diddy's heart exploded for, perhaps, the tenth time in the last 96 hours after hearing that. Everything seemed to be trying to give him a heart attack over the last four days, but he was only just lucky enough to not have suffered one.

"You mean, … (sniffle) … you can't get me home-schooled?" sobbed Diddy.

DK sighed and shook his head, confirming Diddy's nightmare about still having to go to Kong Kollege, much to the little simian's dismay.

"Why do I still have to suffer from being treated like a rotten banana!?" asked Diddy miserably as he once again cried like a five-year-old.

"Believe me, Diddy, I feel just as sad as you do, but I promise I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you're happy again, my sweet little buddy," promised DK, "In fact, … I've heard stories about a primate family that only just recently moved here."

"Why would that make me feel any better?" asked Diddy with his doubts.

"Because I hear that the family has three kids, and one of them, I hear, is probably around your age. She may even attend Kong Kollege, starting next school year," explained DK.

"Really?" said Diddy as curiosity was beginning to take over his thoughts.

"Yeah," replied DK with a warm grin, "Maybe when you get some spare time to yourself, you should try and get acquainted with her. I'll bet she may be a good friend for you, because I know you're gonna need a friend that's your age, little buddy. You and I can't be together twenty-four/seven. I'm occasionally going on dates with Candy, hanging out with Funky and doing errands for Cranky. Pretty soon, you will have to get your social life going. You're about to become a teenager, Diddy. You need some friends in your own social circles."

"As if I ever could find a friend," said Diddy doubtfully.

"Come on, little buddy. It can't be that hard for you to find a new friend," said DK.

Diddy could only sigh as he tried to wipe the tears from his eyes, with some help from DK.

"I'll tell you what. You can take the rest of the week off of school if you want to, okay, little Diddy-buddy?" offered DK as he hugged his brutalized nephew tightly once again.

This greatly relieved Diddy. He loved the idea of not having to be bullied by his evil classmates for a few days.

"Oh, thank you, DK!" said Diddy with a faint grin.

"With one condition," added DK, "You must promise me that you … _**will **_… go back to school next Monday."

Diddy's grin instantly faded right back down to a miserable frown. To tell the truth, he still wanted to never go to Kong Kollege again.

"Do you promise?" finished DK.

Diddy looked at his uncle and nearly forced another tear from his unhurt left eye.

"Y-yes, DK," trembled Diddy, "I promise."

"That's my little boy, Diddy," replied DK.

Soon, after another gentle bear hug between the two Kongs, DK carefully set Diddy back down on his bed, and he stood up and covered his nephew under his blankets, while Diddy simply relaxed his head on his soft pillows.

"'I'll let you rest for a little while," whispered DK, patting Diddy's back to give him some extra warmth and comfort.

"Okay, big buddy," replied Diddy in a sigh of relaxation.

Diddy soon closed his left eye and began to take a snooze, prompting DK to turn towards the door and leave the room.

As the ape closed the door, he felt so devastated that Diddy had to go through what was, perhaps, the worst beating of his entire life. He felt as if he could cry for his nephew, but he knew it was best not to. For now, it was best to help Diddy get over his fear of going to school.

Diddy would spend the next two days in bed, recovering from his injuries. He would only get out of bed just to go to the bathroom. He wouldn't even bother joining DK in the kitchen. Instead, DK personally brought Diddy's meals into his room so he could eat them in bed. He even stayed with his nephew for at least a few of those meals so that they could have each others' company.

Soon, Thursday morning came; three days after the beating. Diddy had finally recovered from his injuries and was looking as good as new. Much to his happiness, the early morning sunshine was blasting through his windows!

"(sigh) At last, a fresh sunny day where I can just be with my favorite big buddy," he said softly to himself as he sat up and stretched his arms.

Then, he remembered …

"Oh, no! My clothes! My clothes from Monday were destroyed by those bullies, and all my other clothes haven't been washed yet! What am I gonna do!?" he panicked.

The monkey instantly jumped out of bed and rushed over to his drawer. He opened the top drawer and found all of his other pairs of red clothes, but all of them were still pretty dirty.

Diddy sighed and closed his drawer, feeling hopeless once again. Suddenly, he went from having a reason to not leave his room to having a completely different reason to not leave his room; from recovering from injuries to having no clothes to wear.

Then, …

"Maybe that's where I come in," said DK as he opened the door and grinned at Diddy.

Diddy was mystified as to why his uncle was giving him that grin. How could anything be cool about not having any clothes to wear?

"Cheer up, little buddy. Besides, I got a little present for ya," added DK, "Come and join me in the kitchen. There's no one else in the house. I assure you."

"Okay," said Diddy, feeling rather dumbfounded.

The little monkey stepped through his doorway and looked around the living room to make sure that DK wasn't lying about there being no one else in the house other than them.

It became quite clear that DK was right.

With the coast clear, Diddy tiptoed from his bedroom to the kitchen, and he found DK sitting by the dining table where they ate their meals.

Diddy looked up at the table, and a pleasant surprise awaited him …

"New stacks of clothes for me!?" he said excitedly.

"Not only that, but these have some extra flavor to them, little buddy! See for yourself!" said DK as he pulled the top cap from the cap pile and unfolded the topmost tank top from the tank top pile.

The ape showed the new cap and tank top to his nephew.

Diddy was astounded by what he saw on those clothes …

The red tank top had two yellow stars emblazoned on each side; front and back; and the red baseball cap featured the Nintendo logo in white on the front!

"If there's one thing we should do to help you feel better, you'll be needing a new look, Diddy. Those other clothes you wear seem to be a little old and not-so-well detailed by today's standards. How's about you try these on and tell me what you think?" offered DK.

Diddy grinned at DK and kindly took the new clothes.

"Okay, big buddy. I'll try 'em on!" said Diddy eccentrically.

"That's my little buddy!" replied DK happily.

Diddy brought the starred tank top over his head and brought the collar down to his neck before sticking his arms through the sides. Then, he took the new Nintendo cap and placed it on his head.

"Wow, Diddy! You look like a new star to me! Why not take a good look at yourself!?" commented DK.

Diddy rushed into the bathroom and looked into the mirror.

The monkey was instantly forced to let a smile on his face. He could only say that these new clothes looked totally awesome on him, and they looked much better than those plain red ones he had worn for years!

"I feel like a brand new monkey!" he shouted happily.

DK heard this and didn't hesitate to join his nephew in the bathroom.

"You like 'em, little buddy?" said DK.

"Like 'em!? I love 'em!" said Diddy excitedly, "These are the best clothes I've ever laid my eyes on! I don't think I could ever find anything better than these! I wanna wear these for years to come!"

"That's my little buddy! I'm so glad you love 'em!" replied DK.

The gorilla scooped up his little nephew by surprise and embraced him in a bear hug. The monkey giggled happily and climbed up onto his uncle's shoulders.

"How many of those pairs did you get?" asked Diddy curiously as DK carried him back into the kitchen.

"I've brought you around thirty pairs! That's much more than you've ever had for a single variation! We could get a pair of seven washed every weekend, and you'd still have over three weeks worth of pairs!" replied DK.

"WOW! DK, YOU'RE THE BEST UNCLE EVER!" yelled Diddy excitedly, so loud that he almost startled DK.

"Hehe! Okay, not so loud, little buddy! I'm very happy that you're happy, but you don't have to be that loud while you're riding on me," said DK.

"Sorry, big buddy," said Diddy with a forced grin.

"It's okay, little buddy. You know I think of you as the best nephew ever, too!" added DK.

"Aww, DK, you're so sweet!" said Diddy as he wrapped his arms around DK's neck and cuddled into his warm brown fur.

DK grinned in return as he felt his nephew's warm cuddles.

"Aww, my little Diddy-boy," said DK playfully, "Let's have some breakfast."

"Ooh, goodie!" answered Diddy excitedly, licking his lips as DK lifted him off his shoulders and set him down in a chair at the table.

The ape set Diddy's new clothes on his bedroom drawer, then he toasted four pieces of banana bread for Diddy and placed banana bites all over them.

"Wow! This ougtha be so delicious!" commented Diddy as he quickly began eating his breakfast the moment DK set the plate in front of him.

"Wow, little buddy! I'm so glad to see you feeling so excited! I really miss that smile of yours, you know," commented DK.

Diddy finished his first piece of toast and gave DK another warm smile.

"I know, big buddy. It's just that the last week has been so humiliating, and I was only beginning to lose hope in having a happy heart again, but these new clothes should help out," explained Diddy.

"Say, Diddy, I was wondering if you would like to go out with me and just wander around the jungle. If it makes it sound any better, we can go together so that you don't have to be alone," offered DK, "Besides, since your first day out of bed's gotten off to a great start, it would be bad luck to just laze in the house all by yourself."

Diddy thought this over while he ate his breakfast. He was still frightened of showing his face to the other Kongs after what had happened on their return party. He was sure they would probably keep rejecting him and throwing him aside just to get a word with DK. He could probably even end up running into that idiot, Fomali again.

Oh, no! Not him again! He did not want to think about that orangutan again, not after what happened on Monday!

On the other side of it all, he knew DK was right. A fresh, sunny Thursday off of school with a fresh, sunny start with new clothes would feel like a waste if he just stayed home alone, and it would probably make him sad all over again, even if he found a few of his favorite hobbies right at home.

Just as Diddy finished half of his breakfast, he looked at DK again with a faint grin.

"Wanna come with me and just have a family hangout in the jungle?" said DK.

Diddy turned his grin into a light smile and nodded his head.

"I'd love to, big buddy! I'd want nothing more than to just be in the fresh outdoors with you just like those old days when I was in diapers!" said Diddy.

DK chuckled after hearing that response. He felt so proud to be taking his nephew with him on a simple jungle hangout for family fun! It seemed that the first phase of bringing happiness into Diddy's heart was all going to plan.

Diddy scarfed down the rest of his breakfast, and DK set the empty plate in the kitchen sink. Then, the monkey joyfully jumped onto his uncle's shoulders again as DK walked out of the kitchen, through the living room and towards the front door.

"Ready to get some fresh morning air, little buddy?" asked DK.

"I'm ready, big buddy," answered Diddy cutely, "Go right ahead and carry me anywhere!"

Both primates giggled as DK opened the door to let the air blow in.

As DK carried Diddy out of the house and closed the door, the little monkey could instantly feel that cool mid-autumn breeze blowing around his fur. It felt very soothing for him, and it felt even better while he rode on his uncle; whether it was on his back or his shoulders.

"Hold on tight, Diddy!" said DK as he jumped off the porch and landed on the ground on all fours, with Diddy clinging tightly to his uncle's neck to stay on.

Finally, DK started his walk down one of their favorite jungle pathways, one which led to many of the other more notable places on Kongo Bongo. Diddy gently nuzzled his face on the back of DK's head as he cuddled cutely into him. This earned some warm grins from DK as he felt the warming sensations his nephew was giving him. They both knew it could only mean … family love.

"I love you, big buddy," whispered Diddy in DK's ear.

"I love you, too, little buddy," replied DK softly as they nuzzled each others' faces briefly, "Anything for my little Diddy-buddy."

Diddy smiled cutely at DK as he heard that last sentence.

Ultimately, their jungle hangout turned out to be a big success! The two Kongs stopped by Funky's Flights and had a pleasant chat with the sunglassed surfer. Funky admired Diddy's new clothes and told him how he had watched Diddy throw the cannonball at K. Rool from his plane, which put a big smile on Diddy's face.

DK's girlfriend, Candy, was another who proceeded to give Diddy his much-deserved credit for their adventure. She had heard the stories from DK during their date on Monday and felt sorry for the little monkey after hearing about what he had been going through, from his depression to the bullying at school.

However, they decided to avoid Cranky. They knew he would toss out Diddy in an instant and only allow DK to come into his cabin.

The only other "low-light" was an unpleasant surprise on their way home that afternoon …

While DK carried Diddy down the same lovable jungle pathway they took this morning, they didn't see that another primate was coming from another direction at the intersection ahead of them.

By the time they finally noticed him, it was too late …

The primate bumped DK's side and forced him to lose his balance. Diddy clung onto DK's neck as tightly as he could to keep from falling off of him.

The Kong hero went down on his butt, but he quickly got himself back up, with Diddy in tow.

The other primate just so happened to be Diddy's archenemy from school, …

Fomali!

The orangutan got himself back up and took one glance at DK and Diddy with fury.

Diddy noticed Fomali and exchanged the death glare.

"YOU!" screamed Diddy, much to DK's surprise.

"You know this primate?" said DK curiously.

"Well, well, look who it is! My archenemy being a baby rider on his uncle!" teased Fomali.

"What did you just say!?" shouted DK.

"Take that back, you big bully that tried to murder me!" Diddy shot back at his nemesis.

"Tattletale freak!" replied Fomali.

As Diddy flinched at that horrible name, DK immediately grabbed Fomali by the neck and lifted him off his feet, gritting his teeth frightfully while at it.

"Hey! Let me go, you overgrown-"

Fomali was cut off as DK slapped him in the face and started choking him severely.

"So, … you're Fomali, aren't you?" assumed DK, "AREN'T YOU!?"

Fomali nodded his head out of fear that DK would strangle him.

"Now, you listen to me, young man! You're only lucky I'm not strangling you to death because I know better than to kill off another member of our own race, but I will not tolerate the many rotten things you do to my nephew!"

The orangutan simply nodded again, unable to think of any words to say.

"Now I'll be letting you off with a warning for just this one time, … BUT … IF … YOU … EVER … lay one finger on my nephew … AGAIN, … you'll regret the day you even signed up for Kong Kollege, … because I know the teacher personally. Do you understand?"

Fomali refused to answer and struggled to get himself out of DK's grasp.

"DO YOU!?" yelled DK, choking Fomali even harder.

The villainous classmate of Diddy nodded his head again.

"Good," replied DK, "Now do us both a favor … and get your bullying self outta my sight!"

With that, the muscular ape dropped the almost-as-muscular orangutan to the ground.

Immediately, Fomali stood back up and ran as far away from DK and Diddy as possible.

As soon as Fomali was gone, DK took notice of the sound of crying right beside his ears. He knew what that meant.

"Diddy, are you okay, little buddy?" asked DK with a sad, gentle voice.

Diddy was still on DK's shoulders, but he was now sobbing miserably all over again. The ape felt sure that their wonderful Thursday was ruined after an uninvited appearance by Diddy's worst school enemy.

"Aww, little buddy, I'm so sorry this just happened," apologized DK.

"It's not your fault, DK," sobbed Diddy in between sniffles, "Why can't I ever go outside without seeing that big bully!?"

"Awww, Diddy. I wish I knew the answer to that question, but I'm sure that someday we'll be seeing much less of him," said DK.

"I wish," replied Diddy sadly.

"Come on, little buddy. Why don't we go home and I'll make you some banana cookies?" offered DK.

Hearing that suddenly brought Diddy's mood from sad to excited! Oh, how DK was always a master at cheering up his little nephew!

"I'd love some!" said Diddy excitedly, "Gimme some of those delicious cookies!"

DK giggled at Diddy's reaction and continued his journey back home with Diddy cutely riding piggyback on him.

Unbeknownst to the two Kongs, Fomali was watching from behind a tree as the duo gradually disappeared from sight.

"Oh, just you wait, Diddy Kong. I'll have you dead once and for all!" whispered Fomali as DK and Diddy were finally gone from his sight.

* * *

_**Hmm, it seems that Fomali may still have more up his sleeve, but Diddy's lucky to have family around, particularly DK! :)**_

_**Now that Fomali has been reprimanded by the King of Kongo Bongo, will Diddy finally have a bully-free day at school when he returns?**_

_**Well, have a nice day, everyone, and I'll see you in chapter four, when Diddy finally returns to school.**_


	4. Nightmares and An 'Almost Good' Day

_**Hey there, FanFictioners! How's about we see how well Diddy can fare at school after taking a week off.**_

* * *

Diddy spent his weekend having horrific nightmares about returning to school. Even through all the advice DK gave him throughout the week he had off, he still felt like the grounds of Kong Kollege were unwelcoming for him.

On Sunday night, Diddy endured his worst nightmare yet …

_Diddy was stepping into the schoolroom of Kong Kollege, hoping that today would just be a simple day of schoolwork like he had wanted. However, once he looked around the room, he noticed that all of his classmates had turned into monstrous copies of Fomali! The poor monkey was frightened to death by this horrible sight, and he rushed to Wrinkly's desk, where he desperately wished his great grandmother would be there to comfort him and stop these monsters._

_Suddenly, as Diddy approached the desk, a primate which had its back turned on him, appearing to be Wrinkly, turned around and revealed himself to be the real Fomali in disguise as Wrinkly!_

_Diddy gasped in horror._

"_WHAT!? WHERE'S WRINKLY!?" Diddy yelled at Fomali._

_Fomali pointed a finger towards the blackboard and revealed the real Wrinkly having been hanged from the ceiling! A rope was tied around her neck, and the rope was attached to the handle that was used to pull down the projector._

_Diddy's mouth was wide open in shock as this new ghost story was coming true._

"_And now, you're next!" said Fomali as he picked up a knife and pointed it at Diddy._

"_No! NO! PLEASE, DON'T KILL ME! I'M JUST A LITTLE MONKEY! I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE!" screamed Diddy._

_Some of the Fomali doubles grabbed the poor monkey and dragged him in front of Wrinkly's lifeless body. Then, they pinned him to the blackboard and tightened their grip on him so that he couldn't escape._

"_NO! PLEEEEASE! NAAAAAAAOOOOOO!" cried Diddy as tears spilled from his eyes, fearing this was the end._

"_I told you we'd kill you if you ever came back, and now you've asked for it!" shouted Fomali, "And once we've finished you off, then we'll be killing your uncle, too!"_

"_WHAT!? YOU CAN'T KILL DK!" screamed Diddy, "PLEASE DON'T! PLEEEEEEEEEEEASE!"_

"_Goodbye, Diddy Kong! Rest in misery, freak!" finished Fomali as he finally charged his arm and drove the knife towards Diddy's chest._

_Diddy shut his eyes as the knife approached his stomach. Then, he felt a very sharp pain enter his stomach as the blade penetrated his chest, right through his stomach._

DK had heard Diddy screaming while he was watching late night TV, and he came into Diddy's bedroom to see what was wrong with his nephew.

The ape found Diddy jerking around his bed in his sleep, begging someone not to kill him.

DK rushed over to Diddy's bed and shook his little nephew around to get him out of his nightmare.

"Diddy? Diddy! Are you okay!? Snap out of it!" shouted DK as he shook Diddy around the bed.

Diddy suddenly opened his eyes after feeling his body being shaken around the bed. He let out another frightened scream as he looked up at DK.

"Diddy!" said DK worryingly, "Are you okay?"

Diddy looked around and found himself back on his cute, comfortable bed. He quickly realized that the whole thing was a terrible nightmare, but it was the worst nightmare he had in his entire life.

"NO!" cried Diddy as he jerked out of bed and immediately jumped onto DK's lap for a tight hug around the ape's neck.

DK nearly choked as Diddy squeezed his neck very hard. The ape hugged his nephew around his back and pulled the monkey back slightly to reduce the stress on his neck.

"Aww, Diddy, my little buddy," whispered DK, "Sssshhh. It's okay. Uncle DK's gotcha."

Diddy started weeping as he and DK cuddled each other tightly. The poor little monkey couldn't get those disturbing thoughts out of his head. He felt as frightened as he had ever been in his life, even worse than that stormy night less than two weeks ago when he tried to guard the banana hoard from the Kremlings.

"There, there, little buddy. It'll be okay," said DK gently in an effort to comfort his nephew.

"No, it won't!" wept Diddy, "I can't go back to school!"

"Aww, Diddy. You said you'd promise to return to school tomorrow," reminded DK.

"I can't!" replied Diddy through weeps, "I had walked into the school, only to find that all my classmates were doubles of Fomali! The real Fomali had murdered Wrinkly by hanging her from the projector, then they all grabbed me and pinned me to the blackboard! (sniffle) Fomali stated that if I had ever returned to Kong Kollege then he would kill me! Then, he took a knife and drove it through my stomach!"

DK's heart nearly skipped a beat as he listened to the miserable story about Diddy's nightmare. The ape let out a sad sigh and continued to cuddle his constantly-heartbroken nephew.

"Diddy?" DK began, "Now, first off, I'm sure your classmates would know better than to kill their teacher. Second, I don't think that they would want to kill you just because they think you're a disgrace."

"What if I really am a disgrace!?" cried Diddy, "Everyone thought I was a disgrace when we returned to Kongo Bongo, and everyone at school thought I was a disgrace, except Wrinkly! Am I really a worthless zero, DK!? Should I just lock myself in my bedroom forever!?"

DK was beginning to feel annoyed with Diddy constantly beating himself up in various ways, … and he almost began to lose his patience with this constant torture that his poor nephew was going through.

"Diddy," said DK, almost going into a scolding tone, "You've gotta stop with this 'beating yourself up' stuff. You're not a disgrace, you're not a worthless zero, and you are nowhere near what you think you are. You can't just lock yourself in your room for the rest of your life just because of a terrible dream you had. I will tell you right now … that this is a nightmare that will never, and I mean, … NEVER … come true."

Diddy looked up at DK with sparkling wet eyes, having heard every word from his uncle, and he attempted to stop his crying, but he could only limit his weeps to sobs as his eyes kept bawling with tears.

DK looked into Diddy's eyes and nearly shed a tear from his own eyes. The way Diddy looked whenever he cried always shattered DK's heart, no matter what the situation was.

"Little Diddy-buddy," whispered DK gently into Diddy's ear, "I'm sure none of this will ever come true. I'd imagine that Wrinkly will be taking extra care of you if you go tomorrow. She was there when all those bullies brutalized you last week, and she cares deeply about you. I'll bet she and I may end up having some serious discussions about your attendance unless you start going to school again, little buddy. You wouldn't want me to get into any of this trouble, would you?"

Diddy knew right off the bat that DK couldn't get himself personally involved in this. This was something he had to settle by himself, even if he didn't have the courage to do it.

"No, … (sniffle) … I wouldn't want you to get into any trouble with this school stuff," replied Diddy as his sobs turned to hiccups.

"Then, please promise me you'll go to school in the morning. Okay, Diddy?" said DK.

Diddy still didn't want to go to school, but he didn't want to disappoint DK, either, so he decided it was best to go to school in the morning.

"Okay, DK, … (hiccup) … I will," the monkey answered.

"That's my boy," said DK in a comforting tone, "Now, why don't you get some more shuteye so that you can be ready for tomorrow."

"Could I sleep with you, please?" asked Diddy with a frightened look on his face, "I don't wanna have anymore nightmares about school."

DK simply grinned at Diddy with a gentle expression and stood up, holding Diddy in his arms.

"Of course I will, little buddy," the ape replied, "Anything just for you."

Diddy faintly grinned at his uncle with tears still leaking from his eyes and occasional hiccups.

"Thanks, big buddy," whispered Diddy.

"You're welcome, little buddy," whispered DK.

DK carried Diddy out of the bedroom and lied down on the living room sofa. The ape grabbed a huge blanket from the back of the couch while allowing Diddy to snuggle on top of him like a baby. Then, he covered them both with the blanket and let Diddy rest his head on his own.

"I love you, little Diddy-buddy," whispered DK, planting a goodnight kiss on Diddy's cheek.

Diddy slightly giggled from the ticklishness the kiss gave him, and he planted a return kiss on DK's face.

"I love you, too, big Donkey-buddy," the monkey replied.

"Goodnight, Diddy."

"Goodnight, DK."

In no time, the two Kongs had fallen into a deep sleep, snuggling together on the couch like a father and baby would.

Thankfully, Diddy had no more nightmares for the rest of the night while sleeping with DK. It seemed that his uncle's comfort was enough to throw his fears away for the night.

At 7:00 AM, the sun blasted through one of Diddy's windows and managed to break into the living room through Diddy's doorway. This was just enough to awaken DK, who still had a sleepy Diddy on his chest.

DK thought Diddy looked extremely adorable the way he slept like this, but he knew that now was the time to get him up and help him get ready for school.

"Diddy," whispered DK in a playful tone as he started wiggling his fingers on Diddy's back.

"Heeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeee," giggled Diddy in his sleep, "Thahahahahahat tihihihihihicklehehehes."

"Time to get up, my sweet little buddy," said DK with a warm smile as he kept tickling Diddy's back in an effort to wake him up.

"I dohohohohon't wahahahahanna wake up!" laughed Diddy as he slightly opened one of his eyes.

"Rise and shine, my little sleepyhead," teased DK playfully.

"DeeheeheeheeheeKahahahahahay!" laughed Diddy as his back received extremely ticklish sensations that ultimately brought him out of his sleep.

"Are ya up yet, little Diddy-buddy?" asked DK.

"Yehehehehehehes! I'm up! Pleeheeheeheeheease stahahahahahahop!" pleaded Diddy as he opened his other eye and let DK squeeze him in a playful hug.

"Good morning, little buddy," said DK before blowing a playful raspberry in Diddy's right cheek.

"EEEEEKEEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEE!" squealed Diddy in laughter.

"How did my favorite little nephew sleep last night?" asked DK.

Diddy recovered from the wake-up torture and grinned at his uncle.

"Ever since I fell asleep on you, my dreams were very pleasant," answered Diddy.

"I'm so happy to hear that, little buddy," replied DK.

The two Kongs smiled at each other before DK pulled their blanket up and let Diddy slide off the couch.

"So, little Diddy-buddy, … are you feeling okay enough to consider going to school today?" asked DK gently as he sat up and stretched his arms.

That question instantly brushed Diddy's smile away and turned it into a frown. Simply mentioning school was enough to bring Diddy's emotions down, given the harsh treatment he had received lately.

DK noticed this and pulled Diddy back onto his lap for a comforting family hug to help bring his spirits back up.

"I understand you don't wanna go, but it's gotta happen sooner or later, Diddy," said DK.

The two looked at each other with worried looks on their faces.

"Okay, big buddy. (gulp) I'll go," said Diddy.

"That's my little monkey. Now, why don't you get yourself cleaned up and ready to go, while I fix you some breakfast?" said DK.

"Thanks, big pal," said Diddy softly.

"You're welcome, little pal," replied DK kindly.

DK slowly lifted Diddy off his lap in a playful manner and set him back down to the floor on his feet.

Then, the little monkey made his way into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

DK listened in to ensure that he would be getting himself ready. This was confirmed seconds later, when DK heard the shower running.

"Okay," DK whispered to himself, "At least, he's getting himself ready. I'll think of some nice breakfast to feed him."

The ape walked into the kitchen and started preparing Diddy's breakfast.

Meanwhile, Diddy was showering himself with coconut shampoo. The coconut-like scent was so soothing and relaxing as it reached his nostrils. He thought it was the finest shampoo of them all.

In his thoughts, Diddy felt as nervous as a train wreck. He hoped Wrinkly would be the first one he saw, instead of all those bullying classmates of his. He couldn't bare to lay an eye on a single fellow student of his. He especially hoped that his nightmare from last night wouldn't come true. No one could ever predict what tricks Fomali had up his sleeve.

Diddy even felt embarrassed about DK having to defend him from Fomali the other day, when Fomali bullied Diddy while he was riding on DK's shoulders in the middle of the Kongo Jungle. He thought it made him look weak whenever he couldn't handle something on his own, but he still appreciated the fact that DK had taught him a valuable lesson.

Or, … at least, he hoped he did.

A few moments later, Diddy rinsed the shampoo off his brown fur and pale skin, and he turned the shower head off before stepping out of the tub to dry himself off. He used the same red towel he had used last week, and he brushed all of the wetness off of him wherever he could feel it.

Soon after, the monkey set the towel on the counter next to the sink, and he put on another pair of his new clothes. He somehow felt doubtful that this new look would change anyone else's opinion about him, but he didn't care about that.

With his new clothes on, Diddy stepped out of the bathroom and walked into the kitchen, where DK had just set a plate of banana pancakes on the dining table by the open windows.

Diddy licked his lips as he looked at the pancakes. He always loved those delicious banana pancakes, especially when they had maple syrup and butter all over them!

"Are those pancakes for me?" asked Diddy eccentrically.

"They sure are, little buddy!" answered DK, sitting right next to Diddy's chair, "Come here and dig in, my precious little nephew!"

Diddy excitedly joined DK at the table, sitting right next to his uncle, and he immediately started scarfing down his pancakes!

DK enjoyed watching Diddy eat his breakfast whenever he was in such an excited mood. It always brought a smile on his face to know that his nephew loved the food he made for him.

The cute monkey happily ate both of his pancakes in just three minutes, which seemed like a record for him! If DK ever kept track of how fast Diddy ate his breakfast, he would surely be calling him one of the fastest eaters in the world!

"What?" giggled Diddy as he noticed DK smiling at him.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that you look so adorable the way you eat your breakfast like that. It's just so cute," answered DK.

"Aww, DK, stop!" said Diddy as his cheeks blushed in embarrassment.

"I'm just trying to put an adorable smile on your face, little buddy," said DK, "You know how much I love to see you smile."

With that, DK playfully pulled Diddy onto his lap again, much to the monkey's surprise, and he gently started tickling his feet.

"Hey! Naaahahahahahahahahahahahahaaa!" giggled Diddy in ticklishness, "DeeheeheeheeheeKahahahahahay! Aaaaahahahahahahahahahahahaheheheheeheeheeeeee!"

"There's that wonderful smile I'm looking for!" teased DK, "Look at you, my cute little monkey!"

"D'aaaahahahahahahahahaw!" replied Diddy through his giggles, "Staaahahahahahahahahop!"

"Have you brushed your teeth yet, little Diddy-buddy?" asked DK.

Diddy felt even more embarrassed, even though it was only him and DK with no one else around.

"You know I always eat breakfast before brushing my teeth!" answered Diddy with playful sarcasm.

"I knew that! I was just playing around with ya, Diddy-cutie!" replied DK eccentrically as he stopped tickling his nephew.

"You're in such a fun mood this morning," commented Diddy.

"Because I wanna see you happy, little buddy. We both know that," said DK.

"I know, big buddy," replied Diddy.

"Why don't you go ahead and brush your teeth, then I'll meet you on the sofa," said DK.

"Okay, pal," answered Diddy as he slid off DK's lap and rushed out of the kitchen.

The monkey scurried into the bathroom and grabbed his toothbrush and some toothpaste. He quickly put some paste on his brush and sprayed some water on it to get it wet, then he brought the brush to his mouth and started brushing every spot he could find on his teeth until they were sparkling white and spotless.

As soon as he finished brushing, Diddy rinsed the toothpaste in the sink and washed his toothbrush before putting it away and rejoining DK in the living room.

The gorilla was sitting on the sofa with Diddy's backpack sitting right next to him.

The little simian jumped onto the couch and grabbed his backpack, putting it on over his shoulders while at it.

"Now, are ya feeling ready, little buddy?" asked DK as he once again pulled Diddy onto his lap for a hug.

Diddy simply sighed as he placed one arm around DK's neck to return the hug.

"I guess I could be," the monkey answered nervously.

"Listen, little buddy. Don't listen to anything they have to say about you. If they try to bully you in any way, just ignore them," suggested DK.

"I'll try, … but what if they get physical again?" asked Diddy worryingly.

"If they try to go in that direction again, just go over to Wrinkly and let her take care of things," answered DK.

Diddy wasn't sure about how Wrinkly could handle bullies trying to give him another physical beating, but then he remembered her attempt to stop Fomali and his minions from beating him up last Monday, unsuccessfully. Maybe, Wrinkly would be more aware than before. Maybe she could keep a close eye on all of her students to make sure Diddy was safe from harm. Either way, Diddy was sure his teacher could be some big help.

"Okay, DK," the monkey replied to his uncle, "I'll let her do whatever she can."

"That's my boy," whispered DK, planting another kiss on Diddy's cheek, "I love you, little buddy."

"I love you, too, big buddy," replied Diddy with a faint grin, returning the kiss on DK's cheek.

"Ready to go, little buddy?" asked DK.

Diddy simply nodded his head as he allowed DK to lift him off his lap and place him on his shoulders.

Then, DK got off the couch and walked up to the front door. He twisted the knob and creaked the door open, allowing the fresh morning air to breeze into the living room.

Diddy's fur once again felt soothed from the fresh air that blew around them.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll give you a ride over there and drop you off, okay?" offered DK.

Diddy thought it was an adorable idea, but he knew it would look embarrassing if any of his classmates saw him riding on his uncle's back or shoulders.

"Okay, big buddy, … except, could you just drop me off just outside the grounds so that nobody sees me riding on you?" asked Diddy nervously.

"Sure I will, little buddy," replied DK, "Like I said before, anything just for you, my little monkey."

Diddy grinned at DK and cuddled onto his neck, as the ape jumped off the porch of their tree house and landed on the ground on all fours.

Then, DK started carrying Diddy through the jungle to Kong Kollege.

The journey lasted about half of an hour, which meant that Diddy still had time to relax before class began.

Just as the grounds of Kong Kollege became visible to their eyes, the pair noticed several of Diddy's classmates chatting outside the door.

Diddy instantly ducked his head behind DK's head, which the ape noticed.

DK sat down behind a tree and lifted Diddy off his shoulders and onto his feet before hugging him one more time.

"Just remember what I said, little buddy. Don't listen to anything they say, and if they try to hurt you, just go to Wrinkly," reminded DK.

"I will," promised Diddy with a nervous look on his face.

"Okay, little buddy," whispered DK as he kept hugging his nephew, "Try to have a good day, little sweetie."

"(gulp) Thanks, big buddy," replied Diddy softly.

"You're welcome, little buddy," said DK, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

DK petted Diddy all over several times until the monkey felt comfortable enough to separate from his uncle.

"See you this afternoon, DK," whispered Diddy as they finally broke free of each other.

"See you this afternoon, Diddy," replied DK as he gently patted Diddy's back and gave him a gentle push to start his walk to the schoolhouse door.

DK kept himself hidden behind the tree as he watched his nephew make his way to the schoolhouse.

Sure enough, the students at the door noticed him approaching the door.

"UGH! It's that horrible freak again!" shouted a Kremling in disgust.

"The entire class got two weeks of detention because of you!" fumed another gorilla.

"Such a lucky little coward, since you're the only one who didn't get detention!" put in another monkey.

Remembering DK's advice, Diddy pretended those other kids weren't there, and he walked straight into the schoolhouse, much to the bullies' chagrin.

"Did you just see that!?" complained an orangutan.

"As if we weren't even here!" added the gorilla.

"Ooh, just wait 'til we tell Fomali about this!" finished the Kremling.

DK felt bad for overhearing Diddy being called a freak again, but he was proud that he ignored their untrue words. Feeling convinced that Diddy was now safe with Wrinkly's close supervision, and having overheard the younger gorilla mention the "two weeks of detention", the big ape finally left the school grounds and headed back home.

Diddy was immediately treated to a warm 'hello' from Wrinkly the instant he stepped foot in the room.

"Oh, Diddy! I'm so happy you've finally returned. I've been worried sick about you all week," said Wrinkly in her kindhearted manner.

"Hi, Wrinkly," replied Diddy, still feeling a little shaky, "I'm sorry that I haven't been showing up, but I've been having so many nightmares lately, and-"

Wrinkly quickly stopped Diddy in mid-sentence and gently patted his back.

"You don't need to tell me too much. I can understand the pain you've been going through," said Wrinkly reassuringly, "I'll make sure you stay safe from those classmates of yours. In fact, I can't trust any of them right now."

"Thank you so much, Wrinkly," said Diddy with a sigh of relief, "I could sure use a day of not being pushed around."

"Just take it easy for today, and I'll make sure you make it through the day without being bullied," said Wrinkly.

"I will, Wrinkly," answered Diddy as he opened his backpack and pulled out a few sheets of paper, "Here are the assignments I handled while I took my week off in recovery."

Wrinkly kindly took the papers and brought them over to her desk.

"Thanks, Diddy. At least, you're still keeping track of your assignments very well, despite your poor attendance in recent weeks," commented Wrinkly.

"Well, I wouldn't wanna be a proper hero without good grades," commented Diddy.

This earned a brief chuckle from Wrinkly.

"You've got some good humor, too. I'll give ya that," replied Wrinkly as the other students entered the schoolroom for the morning lesson.

Diddy looked at the clock and realized that it was 8:29 AM.

"Go ahead and get your notebook out, and we'll get started," Wrinkly advised Diddy.

"Okay," replied Diddy as he sat down in front of his desk.

The other students all took their seats and took out their necessary supplies.

"Okay, class," announced Wrinkly, "I sure hope you've all been keeping track of what we've been learning in science."

Out of all the students in Wrinkly's class, it seemed that Diddy was the only one keeping track. The other students all had lazy looks on their faces.

"Now then, today we'll be constructing an experiment on coconuts," Wrinkly began, "You will be working in groups of two."

Diddy felt dismayed about hearing that. He could never manage working with any one of his classmates.

"That is, with the exception of Diddy, who I'm sure will wanna work alone, so I'll be setting you into six groups of two, one group of three, and then Diddy will do his solo," continued Wrinkly.

This relieved Diddy greatly. He was happy that he didn't have to deal with any of his classmates tormenting him on this experiment.

"Now then, I shall pass each group one coconut. This will involve one person breaking the coconut open, and the other person pouring the milk into some tubes which I have set up for you on your desks."

Wrinkly handed each of the groups, including Diddy, one coconut for each to use in the experiment.

"Once you have poured the milk into the tubes, you will be examining the samples and comparing them with the orange juice samples we made a few weeks ago," added Wrinkly, "The notes you've taken should help you tell the differences between orange juice and coconut milk."

As soon as each of the groups had a coconut, Wrinkly stood in front of the class again.

"And now, class, … you may begin."

Diddy was instantly breaking his coconut in half and carefully pouring the milk into his test tube before the other groups had a chance to even begin. Once again, the class was completely annoyed with how well Diddy was doing compared to them. Only Wrinkly was impressed.

The smart simian opened his notebook and looked over the details of the orange juice sample he had examined a few weeks before, and he wrote down everything he could think about from the top of his head before turning to his textbook for more details on coconut milk.

Wrinkly was walking around the classroom, keeping a sharp eye on each and every group in the room. She not only wanted to make sure that Diddy was safe from the bullying, but also to make sure that the students were all paying close attention to their lesson.

Three of the groups, including the three-part group, were behaving very carelessly. They had spilled their coconut milk on their work stations and had to get napkins to clean off their desks, much to Wrinkly's annoyance.

The four other groups were going at a steady pace, and they were being careful with their samples.

Diddy's progress was much more accelerated. By the time the second-fastest group had started testing their sample, Diddy was already putting the finishing touches on his examination!

Wrinkly's brightest student was finished in just four and a half minutes, with the fastest two-part group finishing up more than three minutes later!

"Well, Diddy, I must say you've become quite a master at this! I'm extremely pleased with you!" said Wrinkly kindly as she looked at Diddy's completed notes.

Diddy smiled at Wrinkly, while the other students could be heard exchanging some unpleasant words, undoubtedly about him.

Wrinkly quickly looked around the room and spotted the other students talking among themselves. She could even hear several unfriendly words about Diddy among at least half of the class.

"Alright, class! Stop with all this nonsense and get back to work! All this just because you think my brightest student is too quick!? If I hear another unfriendly word about Diddy, I'll extend your detention time for all of you … by another week!" shouted Wrinkly.

This stopped all the chattering, and the class went back to work immediately with their reprimand.

Over the next half hour, the class gradually progressed through their work, while Diddy simply relaxed and focused on reading his notes to keep the others out of his mind.

Then, by 9:05 AM, Wrinkly stood in front of the blackboard again, prompting the entire class to draw their attention to her.

"Alright, class. Pens and pencils down!" she announced as her students set their writing utensils on their desks, "Now, if any one of you can tell me the biggest difference between coconut milk and orange juice?"

There was no doubt that Diddy would be the first one to raise his hand.

Even with five other students having their hands raised, Wrinkly still picked Diddy, much to his classmates' dismay.

Once again, it turned into another marathon of questions by Wrinkly, with Diddy answering every one of them. The students were all glaring at him behind his back, wishing he would shut his mouth. One gorilla even covered his ears whenever Diddy spoke so that he wouldn't have to listen to him answer every question.

Eventually, noon arrived, and the class was finally dismissed for their lunch break.

Diddy once again chose to eat at his private lunch area by the schoolhouse door. He seemed to be in luck again, as nobody paid attention to him happily eating his banana sandwich and drinking his banana juice.

Wrinkly chose to stand outside the schoolhouse door to look after Diddy rather than stay indoors and grade her students' assignments. After all, very few of her pupils got good grades, anyway.

As soon as Diddy was finished with his lunch, he left his private table and rejoined his great grandmother at the school door. In the process, he reached for the trash can and threw his empty sandwich bag and juice box away.

"How are you feeling so far, Diddy?" asked Wrinkly as she patted her great grandson's back.

"I'm doing okay," answered Diddy, "I'm still a little nervous, but I'm feeling okay so far."

"That's excellent, my dear," replied Wrinkly kindly.

The rest of the lunch period went by without any trouble for Diddy. The class simply stayed put where they were, knowing that they couldn't get to Diddy while Wrinkly was being his body guard.

At 1:00 PM, the entire class, along with their teacher, refilled the schoolroom, and got themselves ready for their afternoon lesson.

"Alright, class. For this afternoon, we'll be focusing on our math, continuing where we left off last Friday," said Wrinkly as she handed some notes to Diddy that he had missed during his week off, "Now then, if you could all turn to page 193 on your math textbooks!"

The entire class did as told, and from there the afternoon math lesson went on very well, with there being no bullying on Diddy once again.

By 2:30 PM, the afternoon bell rang, which meant that the school day was finally over!

"Alright, class! You're all free to go!" announced Wrinkly.

The entire class rushed their supplies into their bags and scurried out of the schoolroom as quickly as they could. Diddy knew it was obviously to escape from him.

Just as Diddy was about to head out the door, Wrinkly tapped his shoulder.

"Diddy?"

The monkey turned around and gave Wrinkly his attention.

"Yes, Wrinkly?" he replied.

"I really appreciate you coming back to school," said Wrinkly, "I know it hasn't been easy for you, but at least you're determined to always stay on track."

"Thanks, Wrinkly," replied Diddy, "Oh, … and thank you for keeping me out of trouble with those bullies."

"You're welcome, my dear," said Wrinkly, "I'm glad you could get through at least one day without being bothered."

The two Kongs grinned at each other, then they looked at the clock again and remembered …

"Oh, dear! Cranky will be waiting for me! He told me that he had something pleasant to show me today!" said Wrinkly.

"And I gotta get home to DK!" added Diddy.

"Well, … see you tomorrow, Diddy. I hope you have a nice evening," said Wrinkly as she finally let Diddy go.

"You too, Wrinkly, and see you tomorrow!" replied Diddy as he left the schoolhouse and started his trip home.

About halfway through his journey back home, Diddy spotted DK relaxing in front of a banana tree.

"YO, DK!" called Diddy.

DK, having heard his nephew's voice, looked over and noticed a cheerful Diddy running towards him.

This was such a heartwarming sight for the big hero of Kongo Bongo.

"Hey, little Diddy-buddy!" replied DK, "I take it you had a good day in school today!?"

"I sure did!" answered Diddy happily as he ran closer to DK on all fours, "No bumps, no bruises, no beatings today!"

"SO YOU THINK!" yelled another voice.

DK was rather confused by this voice, but Diddy somehow recognized it.

Then, suddenly …

Fomali, along with several other Kong Kollege students, came down to the ground in front of Diddy and stopped him dead in his tracks before he could reach DK.

The little monkey relied on his excellent agility and immediately turned away from the bullies, only for some more bullies to approach him from the other direction.

DK stood up and prepared to ram at the bullies, but then several more jumped on top of him and knocked him to the ground before he could help his nephew.

Diddy was, all of a sudden, frightened all over again. One moment, he seemed to be coming home from a good school day, yet the next moment, he was about to be beaten down again in the middle of the jungle, and, even worse, the bullies were even keeping DK pinned down, unable to help him.

"Hold it right there, ya disgusting piece of turd fur!" shouted a young orangutan.

"You're not going anywhere, creep!" added a Kremling.

Diddy looked around and desperately tried to look for an opening, but the bullies seemed to have him completely surrounded from every direction.

In almost no time, the bullies cornered him and prepared to attack.

"Diddy! J-jump!" shouted DK as two Kremlings kept him pinned to the ground.

Diddy charged his legs and launched himself off the ground with a tremendous jump just before the bullies could tackle him.

The bullies all gasped as they watched the monkey's big jump.

However, just as Diddy came down right in front of DK, Fomali grabbed him by the back of his new tank top and lifted him off the ground.

"HEY! PUT ME DOWN!" screamed Diddy as he struggled to get himself out of Fomali's grasp.

Instead, the orangutan walked up to a tree and smashed Diddy's back against it.

"You have humiliated me for the last time, Diddy Kong!" yelled Fomali, "This time, … you won't be getting away with it!"

"Put him down, you monster!" ordered DK.

"YOU STAY OUT OF THIS, OR YOU'LL BE THE NEXT ONE ON THIS ISLAND TO DIE!" screamed Fomali.

"YOU WOULDN'T DARE KILL MY UNCLE!" yelled Diddy in a sudden rage of fury.

"Oh, I would! I want your life to be as miserable as possible! In fact, I even want it to be short!" added Fomali with a heartless laugh.

The bullies laughed along with Fomali, including the Kremlings that held DK down.

"Boys, let's teach this freak how to properly respect his superiors!" announced Fomali.

"A valuable lesson for his uncle to watch him learn!" added another gorilla.

"Fomali, you put my nephew down, or I'll be ordering Wrinkly to suspend you from Kong Kollege!" demanded DK.

At that moment, the strongest gorilla among the bullies approached Diddy and punched him right in the cheek.

DK looked in horror as Diddy was receiving yet another beating. This felt like a nightmare coming true.

"You mind as well go ahead, since it may prove pointless!" said Fomali to DK, "Any minute now, I might just finish off his life!"

Just then, Fomali pulled a knife out of his pocket and prepared to stab Diddy with it, much to the horror of both DK and Diddy.

"DK! HELP!" screamed Diddy as loud as he could, with tears streaming from his eyes.

"GET OFF ME, YOU BRAINLESS LIZARDS!" DK screamed at the Kremlings that were still pinning him to the ground.

Another orangutan walked up to Diddy and punched him in the stomach. The pain hit him instantly as if he had just been rammed by the headlight of a mine cart.

"We'll see who's the new Kongo Bongo crybaby after you're dead!" yelled a third Kremling to Diddy.

Then, …

DK banged his fists against the Kremlings' heads and was finally free. He instantly sprang into action, charging towards Fomali just as the evil orangutan was about to charge his knife at Diddy.

"Prepare to meet your fa-"

At that instant, DK rammed into Fomali and knocked him to the ground. The orangutan dropped Diddy just as the big ape charged at him, and the monkey came down to the ground on his face with a painful splat.

DK got back up after ramming Fomali, and he suddenly took a deep breath and let out a monstrous roar that could be heard for hundreds of miles.

The roar shook the area like an earthquake with its high volume. The bullies all lost their balance as the roar rumbled the jungle.

The roar lasted for three seconds, but its reverberation seemed to last for ages. The bullies' ears were all ringing from the intensity of the monster-like scream. They all fell off their feet and ducked behind trees to escape from DK.

Diddy, meanwhile, had started running the rest of the way home, picking up his unharmed backpack and strapping it over his shoulders while at it, before the roar's reverberation had stopped.

DK looked around and found the bullies scattered on the ground, having crawled away out of fear from his roar, then he noticed Diddy running away from the scene as fast as he could.

Not wanting to bear another minute with these horrible bullies, DK started following Diddy from far behind.

The ape was once again feeling terrible for Diddy. He wished he could have stopped this from happening to him. It seemed that Diddy had been able to have a bully-free day until now, and now he was probably going to lock himself in his room again, as far as DK was concerned.

Ten minutes later, DK reached the ladder of his tree house and climbed up to the porch.

Then, as DK opened the door and walked into the house, he heard Diddy's sad voice in the kitchen.

It was quite obvious; Diddy was heartbroken all over again, much to DK's own heartbreak. He had gone through so much to get Diddy happy again, yet suddenly it was all being undone once more.

"This is for all the humiliation I've had to go through!" cried Diddy as DK slowly approached the kitchen doorway, "This is for having everyone on Kongo Bongo look at me like I'm nothing but a useless, wimpy waste of space! This is for the everyday torture that has tried to kill me! I can't stand this any longer! No one ever pays any attention to me! No one's ever wanted me around! Everyone thinks I'm worthless! What's my point in even trying when no one ever thanks me!? What point do I have in even being here!? Why did I ever try in the first place!? I don't belong in this cruel world!"

DK quickly registered what those words meant …

The ape quickly ran into the kitchen, and he gasped at what he saw …

Diddy was sitting on a chair by the table.

…

There was a knife in his left hand, and he had it pointed towards his right arm!

DK looked in horror as Diddy prepared to do the unthinkable …

* * *

_**Oh, no! :O What could happen next!? Will DK be able to stop Diddy from attempting what he's about to do, and will the big hero manage to bring comfort to his nephew?**_

_**The answer to that will be coming up in chapter five.**_

_**See you then.**_


	5. Depression

_**The time has come for one of the most suspenseful moments in the history of my FanFiction career!**_

* * *

As Diddy held the knife and aimed for himself, he looked up and saw DK's horrified face.

"Diddy! What do you think you're doing!?" yelled DK in horror.

"I'M SO SORRY, DK, BUT I MUST DO THIS! I DESERVE THIS PAIN!" screamed Diddy as he began to charge his hand holding the knife, "I CAN'T LIVE WITH THIS HUMILIATION!"

"What!? No, you don't, little buddy!" replied DK as he steadily walked up to his hopeless nephew, "Please, put that knife down! It's not worth killing yourself over!"

"I can't, DK!" cried Diddy as he started sobbing, "I can't take this anymore! I must punish myself for allowing myself to be treated to endless torture and rejection! If no one wants to give me anything, then I don't wanna bother asking anyone for anything anymore! I don't have a choice now!"

"Yes, you do!" said DK in a scolding tone, "There's still that second choice; giving yourself another chance."

"Why would I, … (sniffle) … when all I ever get in return is rejection, beatings, humiliation, nightmares and misery!?" wept Diddy, "Ever since that stormy night, no one has looked at me as anything! Everyone thinks I'm just a useless zero! I'M NO HERO! I'M NO WORTHY MONKEY! I'M A FREAK! I'M THE STUPIDEST COWARD IN ALL OF KONGO BONGO! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANY LONGER! I DESERVE THIS!"

"DIDDY!" screamed DK angrily, having had enough of hearing Diddy beating himself up.

Diddy only just sat there, with the knife still ready to stab him. He didn't know what to do now. He couldn't decide whether he should just go ahead and stab himself or simply put the knife down and apologize to DK.

"Diddy, I've told you a million times to stop beating yourself up like this!" scolded DK, "The more you do that, the worse you'll feel, and the more it'll effect you later in life! I'm telling you once again that what you're saying is not true!"

"I can't stop beating myself up, DK!" bawled Diddy, "Every time I try, everything backfires! Every time I try, my mind is filled with doubts! Now I don't know what to believe anymore!"

Those last few words stunned DK's heart. It hit him like taking a punch directly in the chest from a muscular Kremling. He could not believe that Diddy was beginning to doubt him.

"Diddy, how could you say that!?" shouted DK.

Diddy's heart started pounding like a person running for his dear life. His hand started shaking as it kept its grip on the knife. He was completely lost in his thoughts.

"I'M SORRY, DK!" Diddy screamed like a baby, "I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL EVER FORGIVE ME AGAIN, BUT I DESERVE THIS PAIN!"

DK sat in front in a chair and scooted in front of his nephew, then he placed his hands on the monkey's shoulders.

"Diddy, … you do NOT deserve this," said DK calmly, "I know for a fact that what you've been experiencing is something that's not uncommon for someone your age, but I did not like what you just said about doubting what I had told you so many times. You've really hurt my feelings."

Diddy looked at DK with sparkling wet eyes and felt regret sinking into his heart. He knew how much he had hurt his uncle, and he never meant for such a thing like that to happen.

"I'm so sorry I doubted you, DK," cried Diddy miserably as his hand with the knife shook again.

"Diddy, please calm down, little buddy," said DK, "It's okay."

"It doesn't feel okay to me. I've beaten myself up in the worst way that I can, and I deeply hurt your feelings! Now I have reason to punish myself, even if you don't want me to!" sobbed Diddy.

"Please don't do this, little buddy," pleaded DK, "I forgive you."

Diddy briefly grinned at DK, but it quickly faded back to a tearful frown as he kept the knife in his hand.

"I can't!" the poor monkey cried out as he shut his eyes and sobbed once more.

"Diddy, please put that knife down," begged DK.

"NO!" yelled Diddy as his sobs instantly turned to weeps again.

The little simian began to charge the knife towards his arm again. Even with DK trying to stop him, it seemed that Diddy couldn't find the heart to not punish himself.

"Little buddy," said DK.

"I must do it, DK! I deserve this misery!" cried Diddy.

DK held on tightly to Diddy's wrists, but it seemed that the little monkey was resisting his uncle's hold on him.

"Please don't!" said DK.

"UGH!" screamed Diddy.

"NO!"

But it was too late …

The knife penetrated into Diddy's right arm with a huge blow, and the pain was instantly life-threatening. Blood started leaking from the gash that had been left in his arm.

"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" screamed Diddy as he stabbed his own arm.

"DIDDY!" yelled DK in horror, having watched his nephew punish himself.

Diddy shut his eyes and banged his head against the table in agony.

"I told you not to do that, but you just had to!" scolded DK.

"I DESERVED IT, DK! I COULDN'T BARE IT ANYMORE! I HAD TO DO IT!" yelled Diddy as he continued weeping like a two-year old.

"No, you didn't have to do this!" replied DK, "Now look what you've just done to yourself!"

As tears poured from Diddy's eyes like a giant waterfall flowing down his face, DK pulled the knife out of his arm and set it on the table where Diddy couldn't reach it.

"Now, Diddy, … I'm gonna ask you for the last time to please calm down," said DK in a serious tone, feeling angry at Diddy for stabbing himself.

The ape quickly pulled his nephew out of his chair and onto his lap. More blood started gushing out from the opening in Diddy's arm.

As DK held him in his lap, Diddy quickly began to feel regret towards doing something incredibly stupid. He suddenly felt like the stupidest monkey in all of Kongo Bongo. He wished he could turn back time by a few seconds and give himself a second chance, but it was too late now. The damage had been done, and he was now left bleeding for his life.

The poor little monkey wrapped both of his arms around DK's neck and hugged him in sorrow.

"I'm so sorry, DK!" cried Diddy, "Why!? Why did I have to suddenly think of suicide!? Why is it always me that goes through this pain!? Has Kongo Bongo placed a curse on me!?"

DK gently hugged Diddy around his back and exchanged a sad look with his poor nephew.

"Well, for one thing, Kongo Bongo has not placed a curse on you, that's for sure," explained DK, "However, I think it's because you're depressed. It can happen a lot to young kids who have gone through the same things that you've recently gone through. Depression can lead to thoughts of suicide."

"I guess that I've become so depressed that I just wanted to put myself out of my misery," sobbed Diddy.

"Now, Diddy, let's try and put this behind us, okay?" said DK gently.

"If only I could!" cried Diddy, thinking that there would be no way to put it behind them, now that he had just stabbed his own arm.

"Aww, my poor little buddy," sighed DK sadly, "There, there, my little buddy. I still love you, and I'll keep doing whatever it takes to bring you out of this emotional mess you're in."

"I love you, too, big buddy," replied Diddy in between sobs, "I'm so sorry!"

"I forgive you, Diddy," said DK kindly, "Now, let's get you to Cranky's. He can help fix your arm."

"Cranky!? NO! He'll just rant about me being stupid and annoying!" complained Diddy, feeling horrified at the idea about seeing Cranky; the one whom had discredited him right from the very beginning of their adventure.

"Diddy, he's the only one who knows how to resolve situations like these, and he's the most medically qualified compared to everyone else on Kongo Bongo," explained DK.

Diddy felt extremely reluctant about going to Cranky's, but he knew that there was no point in wasting time if he wanted to get his arm fixed as soon as he could.

"Okay, DK. I'll go," answered Diddy in a very low voice.

"Come on, little buddy. Up you go," whispered DK as he lifted Diddy onto his shoulders and stood up before carrying him out of the kitchen.

DK then rushed through the living room and ran out the front door before leaping off the porch and landing on the ground. Then, the ape started carrying his nephew through the jungle once again.

Given how quickly DK was acting, it only took six minutes to get from their house to Cranky's Cabin.

Diddy was feeling extremely nervous about entering this cabin. He was sure the old codger would berate him in many ways, especially after what had just happened many moments ago.

DK walked up to the front door of the cabin and knocked.

"ALRIGHT! WHO IS IT NOW!?" came Cranky's usual nasty voice from inside the cabin.

"It's DK," the gorilla answered.

The door opened, and there stood the angry old scientist, himself; the grandfather of Donkey Kong …

Cranky Kong.

The old ape had a long beard that almost went all the way down to the ground. Due to his age, he had to use a walking stick.

Cranky looked at DK, then he noticed Diddy sitting on his shoulders.

"Why are you bringing this lightweight nephew of yours into my house!?" growled Cranky.

"Cranky, I know it's gonna drive you nuts, but Diddy needs medical assistance," explained DK.

"Oh, fine then, but he'd better be outta here once we're finished!" demanded Cranky as he allowed his younger relatives in the cabin and slammed the door shut behind them.

DK lifted Diddy off his shoulders and set him down on a soft, dark red reclining chair.

"Now then, what seems to be the problem with Diddy?" Cranky asked DK.

Diddy watched nervously as DK brought his lips to Cranky's left ear and whispered something that the little monkey could not hear.

"WHAT!?" screamed Cranky horrendously, "HE STABBED HIMSELF IN THE ARM!?"

The old ape turned to his great grandson, who sat miserably in the chair and revealed the open cut in his right arm.

"Well, you little numbskull, happy now, are we!?" scolded Cranky.

"Cranky, he just grew so depressed after the kids started beating him up in school," explained DK, "He took almost all of last week off so he could recover from the beating his classmates gave him, and then just a little while ago, on his way home, they cornered him and beat him up again, and that's when he decided to attempt suicide. He couldn't bare the many rejections he was facing."

"Well, I'm not surprised," said Cranky in his calmest tone, although he still looked angry, "Anyone will have thoughts of suicide after so many beatings and rejections."

"Oh, would you just help him, Cranky!?" ordered DK.

"Oh, fine! Let's get this over with!" replied Cranky.

The old ape rummaged through his drawer of medications until he found a small bottle of pink liquid, along with a few stitches.

"This will only last a few minutes," he explained, "Before you know it, your arm will be fully healed, and these stitches will seem pointless."

Diddy only gave Cranky a confused look, to which his great grandfather simply returned with a grunt as he lifted Diddy's injured arm and lifted the cap from the medicine bottle.

"I'm quite surprised I haven't heard a word from you yet," said Cranky to Diddy as he started dripping the medicine into his cut, "What, are you suddenly scared of me because of that seemingly distasteful adventure?"

"Since when would I ever be scared of you?" replied Diddy, not wanting to look like a coward in Cranky's presence.

"So, I've managed to get you to speak finally," commented Cranky.

"And what makes you think that our adventure was distasteful?" added Diddy.

"Okay, now you're annoying me," replied Cranky.

Diddy simply banged the back of his head against the chair in disgrace, having once again proven himself as a nuisance to Cranky, much to his own chagrin.

"Just by talking at all, I annoy you?" the monkey complained as Cranky finished dripping the medicine.

"Because all you ever talk about is how you claim to have done certain things that only DK could've done," answered Cranky.

"I've told you four times now, that's not true!" argued Diddy.

"Please, let's not start this argument again?" said an intervening DK.

This got them both to stop arguing at each other so that Cranky could start stitching Diddy's cut.

As it turned out, this process lasted about five minutes, with Cranky complaining to himself about how long the cut was. It seemed that the knife Diddy had used was quite a long one, as far as he was concerned.

Eventually, the cut was sealed, and Diddy's arm looked (and felt) completely normal again. In just five minutes worth of time, it seemed as if the stabbing had never happened!

Cranky removed the stitches from Diddy's cured arm and threw them in the trash bin before placing the medicine back in the drawer.

"Well, Diddy, I sure hope you don't plan to do such a thing like that again!"said Cranky angrily.

"Oh, I won't," promised Diddy.

"I'm sure just to avoid me," added Cranky.

"What!? No! It's not just to avoid-"

"OUT!" screamed Cranky as he pointed to the door, "BOTH OF YOU!"

DK and Diddy looked at each other and sighed, having once again been unable to prove anything useful to Cranky.

The two Kongs stood up and slowly walked up to the front door, then they opened it and left the cabin.

"AND IT HAD BETTER BE A _**VERY**_ LONG TIME BEFORE YOU EVER BRING THAT LITTLE PIPSQUEAK INTO THIS HOUSE AGAIN, DONKEY KONG!" screamed Cranky as DK closed the door.

"(sigh) He just never stops ranting, does he?" commented Diddy.

"I'm afraid not, little buddy," replied DK, "He's been that way for quite some time by now."

Diddy sank his head as his uncle followed him back into the jungle. His tail dragged against the ground as he walked.

DK noticed this and sat down by a coconut tree, gently pulling Diddy onto his lap.

"Hey, little buddy. You gotta stop feeling so down on yourself," said DK gently as he gave his little nephew some warm hugs and cuddles.

"I'm so sorry, DK," said Diddy as tears once again threatened to spill from his eyes, "I still wish I hadn't thought of suicide."

"Hey, now let's put that nasty business behind us, okay?" said DK, "It's all over and done with, you didn't commit suicide, you're alive and well, and we can start off fresh again."

"I don't feel so fresh, though," replied Diddy, "Everywhere I go, something tries to make my heart splatter into a million pieces."

"Aww, little buddy," said DK, having felt very sad to hear such a depressing description about heartbreak, "I know that strong heart of yours must still have some hope."

"I feel like I don't," said Diddy sadly as a few tears once again leaked from his eyes and dripped down his face, "What am I gonna do now?"

DK simply cuddled Diddy into a bear hug and gently wiped the tears from his nephew's eyes. The pair looked at each other as they exchanged sad and worried looks while in their cuddly embrace.

"What am I gonna do now, DK?" asked Diddy, "My heart has no hope for happiness. Everyone at school hates me, Cranky hates me, Bluster hates me."

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised about Bluster. He hates me, too," replied DK.

"I don't know where to find any happiness, DK," continued Diddy, "I could wander off to just about anywhere on Kongo Bongo and still not find any happiness."

"Hmm, I don't think that's entirely true, little buddy," said DK, "I think you completely forgot about the story I told you about a family that recently moved here. Did I not mention that they include a girl that's about the same age as you?"

"Why would I suddenly be interested in girls?" said Diddy, feeling dumbfounded.

"Well, I told ya two days ago that you need to start making your own social circles. In other words, make your own friends," explained DK.

"How? All of my classmates think I'm a waste of space, and I haven't met a single primate my age who's been anywhere near friendly," complained Diddy.

"Don't you have Timber?" asked DK curiously.

"He's a tiger, and he doesn't attend Kong Kollege. Their island's got their own school. He's simply a faraway friend," replied Diddy, "On Kongo Bongo, there's nobody for me."

"Well, maybe it's time we get acquainted with these island newcomers," suggested DK.

"Would I be laughing stock for them, too?" asked an unconvinced Diddy.

"Of course not, little buddy," answered DK, "Judging from what I've heard about them, I think they'd be a perfect fit."

Those words brought some fresh thoughts into Diddy's head. These newcomers sure sounded very friendly, judging from what DK had just told him, … especially this interesting girl.

"You really think so, DK?" said Diddy in his curiosity.

"I know so, Diddy," replied DK with a warm grin, "I've seen them playing at the beach often, and they appear to be very kind and friendly."

Hearing about how long they had been on this island, Diddy suddenly had more strange thoughts in his head.

"Say, DK, … about these new clothes you gave me, … where exactly did you get them from?" asked Diddy.

"Why, I bought them at the clothes store, of course," answered DK, "You know it's the only place where we buy our clothes."

"I had to ask, though," said Diddy with a slight grin, "I will admit, I thought you had met that new family, and they must have given you the clothes to give me."

"Well, that would sound like a very warm thought, but that's not how it turned out, little buddy," replied DK, "I only see them at the beach."

"Do you know what any of their names are?" asked Diddy.

"Well, there's Chunky, who's the big one in the family. He's even bigger and stronger than me!" answered DK.

"Really!?" said Diddy with wide eyes of surprise.

"Oh yeah! He's a pretty big guy!" commented DK.

"What about the three kids?" asked Diddy.

"I don't know their names yet, but I'd imagine if we go to the beach together one of these days, I just might get a chance to introduce you to them," said DK.

Diddy felt nervous about an idea like that, but he knew that DK always knew his stuff, especially when it came to helping him out of depression.

"Are you sure it would be a good idea?" asked Diddy nervously.

"I'm very sure it would be, little buddy," answered DK, hugging his nephew very comfortably, "We've gotta get you out of this depression sooner or later. I don't want my cute little nephew to be sad forever. I'm sure you'll eventually start developing a good social life. You've just gotta take it one step at a time."

Diddy faintly grinned at DK after hearing those words of heartwarming comfort.

"Whaddaya say, little Diddy-buddy? Wanna come with me to the beach tomorrow so you can get acquainted with those young monkeys?" offered DK, "I'll keep an eye on you the whole time we're there."

Diddy's grin turned into a gentle smile, and he returned the hug by wrapping his arms around DK's neck.

"Wanna do it, little buddy?" whispered DK warmly.

"Okay, big buddy. I'll do it," answered Diddy in an almost-shy voice.

DK smiled warmly at Diddy and gently nuzzled his face, earning a few giggles from the little monkey.

"Alright, my little buddy. We'll head there first thing tomorrow morning," said DK.

But then, Diddy remembered …

"First thing tomorrow morning!? But, … oh, no! Tomorrow's Tuesday! I have to go to school again tomorrow!" panicked Diddy.

"Not unless I allow you to take at least one more day off," explained DK, "I'll just convince Wrinkly to let you take tomorrow off."

"Really!?" said Diddy excitedly.

"Besides, I'll still have to inform her about this beating I witnessed earlier this afternoon. She still hasn't found out yet, but once she does, she might allow you to take at least one day off before you have to return on Wednesday," finished DK.

"I hope she lets me take tomorrow off, … but … I thought you wanted me to go all this week," said Diddy worryingly.

"That was before those bullies cornered us on our way home today," said DK, "Heck, Wrinkly might even give them more detention once she finds out."

Diddy let out a slight giggle. To him, the idea about his classmates receiving lots of detention seemed funny, given that they were all nasty to him.

"They all deserve that!" commented Diddy, "Maybe even some suspensions could be necessary!"

"Maybe so," agreed DK through giggles of his own.

The two Kongs shared playful giggles as they soon began joking with each other on their way back home.

Ten minutes later, the duo had arrived in front of their tree house again. Diddy jumped onto DK's shoulders, while DK climbed up the ladder and walked across the porch to the front door, opening it to let themselves in.

Once the two were in their living room, DK closed the door and carried Diddy to the sofa. Diddy jumped off DK's shoulders and slid right back on his lap.

"Now that we've made up our plans for tomorrow, let's have a nice family snuggle on the couch!" said DK playfully.

"I'd love nothing more than that!" replied Diddy happily as he snuggled comfortably into DK's warm fur.

DK pulled their down their couch blanket and covered them both under the warm softness of all the comfort their sofa had to offer. Diddy rested adorably on top of DK as the ape lied down with his head over a pillow on the armrest.

"I love you so much, big Donkey-buddy," whispered Diddy.

"I love you so much, too, little Diddy-buddy," replied DK.

From there, both uncle and nephew spent the rest of the afternoon napping together on the sofa, hugging each other the whole time they slept like a father/baby couple under their warm couch blanket.

* * *

_**Whew! At least Diddy didn't commit suicide, but he still seems to be a long way from finding happiness outside the comfort zone of his shared home with DK, or is he?**_

_**See you in chapter six, where DK and Diddy spend a day on the Kongo Beach!**_


	6. DK & Diddy's fun day on the beach

_**Hello again! I'd say it's time for some Tuesday morning beach fun! :D**_

* * *

The Tuesday morning sun shone brightly over Kongo Bongo, revealing the start of a brand new day on the island. The animals of the jungle were already up and about, chilling in the warm early-October air.

Diddy woke up in his bed at 8:14 AM, and it didn't take long for him to realize that he had overslept.

"Oh, dear! I overslept!" the monkey panicked as he jerked out of bed and rushed to his drawer in much the same way he did on Sunday.

Then, DK opened the door and stepped into Diddy's room.

"Hey, take a chill pill, little buddy," the ape said, "I think you forgot that I was letting you take another day off. Don't you remember, little buddy?"

It didn't take long for Diddy to remember the conversation he had with his uncle yesterday about going to the beach, but another thought crossed his mind.

"Did you call Wrinkly yet?" asked Diddy.

"I have," answered DK, "I just put the phone down two minutes ago. She said it was okay for you to take today off. I told her about what happened yesterday after school, and she's been working on her discipline as far as I'm concerned."

Diddy took a deep breath and sighed in relief, knowing that today was just going to be another day away from those horrible bullies at school.

"Whew. At least I can relax today," sighed Diddy as he opened his drawer and pulled out another pair of his new clothes.

"We'll head to the beach in a little bit, so if ya wanna take a shower, you can go right ahead," said DK.

"Okay, big buddy," replied Diddy as he closed his drawer and left his room.

DK walked into the kitchen to fix some breakfast, while Diddy went into the bathroom to get himself showered and cleaned up.

After all, the little monkey still looked a little rough after what happened between him and his bullying classmates yesterday afternoon.

Diddy took off the clothes he was wearing, then he stepped into the shower, twisted the knob and let the warm water soothe him for a few minutes.

The simian took some time to refresh his thoughts. He figured that a day at the beach with DK would sound very exciting! Compared to school, the beach was always a fun place to be, especially when DK was around to play with him!

Diddy grabbed a yellow sponge and poured some banana-flavored shampoo on it, then he scrubbed his entire body from head to toe in the bubbly yellow shampoo, giving his fur an irresistible scent that he couldn't stop smelling! He suddenly smelled so great that he didn't want to rinse the shampoo off of him, but he knew that even after rinsing, the shampoo's after effects would still give him that lovable smell of bananas!

The monkey rinsed the shampoo off himself and turned the shower head off, then he stepped out and dried himself off, taking his time while at it. Today was no day to be in such a big hurry. After all, he was free all day today; nothing but fun at the beach with his loving uncle, … and … NO SCHOOL!

As soon as he was dry, Diddy put his fresh pair of clothes on and walked out of the bathroom.

DK had just set a plate of buttery banana toast on the dining table when Diddy came into the kitchen. The ape quickly noticed the scent on Diddy's fur, and he seemed rather impressed.

"I take it, you used some of my banana shampoo?" guessed DK.

Diddy sank his head with guilt.

"I'm sorry, DK. I just couldn't resist. I wanted to smell nice for a day at the beach," replied Diddy.

"It's okay, little buddy. I don't mind," said DK kindly, instantly bringing Diddy's mood back up, "I think you made a good choice."

"Thanks, DK," said Diddy happily.

"You're welcome, Diddy," replied DK, "Come over here and enjoy some banana toast, my cute little buddy!"

Diddy looked at the plate waiting for him on the table. His eyes were treated to the lovely sight of four pieces of stacked banana toast, with butter all over them!

The little monkey excitedly ran to his chair in front of his breakfast and quickly started eating his toast like an adorable five-year old!

This earned some chuckles from DK. The ape adored the sight of his nephew having fun in every way he could!

Within just sixty seconds, Diddy had eaten half of his breakfast, when he turned and noticed his uncle sitting next to him with a grin.

"Lemme guess. You think I'm so cute eating like this, doncha!?" assumed Diddy.

"You're always cute, little Diddy-buddy!" replied DK playfully, "You're such a sweet little cutey-buddy, Diddy!"

DK threw an arm around Diddy's back and cuddled him, earning some giggles from the little monkey.

"DeeheeheeheeKahahahahay! All this lohohohohove! You're making me bluhuhush!" giggled Diddy as his cheeks began to turn red in family love … and embarrassment.

"Well, little Diddy-buddy, what else can I say?" said DK, "I love you so much, little Diddy Kong-buddy!"

Diddy was forced to exchange a big smile with his uncle after hearing that. He felt so happy to have an uncle who loved him so much and always took such great care of him. He felt very lucky, indeed.

"I love you so much, too, big Donkey Kong-buddy!" the simian replied as he grabbed his third piece of toast.

"I think you're very fortunate to have me around to raise you and take care of you as if I was your father," commented DK, "You know I always love making you happy, and that's what being an uncle is all about."

"D'aaawww, DK!" replied Diddy as he ate his toast, "I feel so lucky to have you as an uncle! You're much more than just a big brother or a father to me! You're everything to me!"

"Aww, Diddy!" said DK happily, "You're such a wonderful little guy!"

Just as Diddy grabbed his last piece of toast and quickly ate it, DK playfully pulled him onto his lap and squeezed him into a huge bear hug, much to Diddy's surprise … and happiness. To him, DK's bear hugs felt so warm and comfortable, … as long as they weren't too ticklish.

"My sweet, precious little buddy!" said DK eccentrically as he cuddled his nephew, "How's about some family fun before we get our picnic basket ready?"

"Aw, DK! You're such a sweet big buddy!" replied Diddy happily, looking up at DK and smiling adorably.

DK returned the adorable smile and started blowing raspberries all over Diddy's face, much to the monkey's shock and embarrassment. He typically didn't enjoy being tickled these days, especially when raspberries were involved.

"NAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHOP!" yelled Diddy through laughter as the ticklish sensations from the raspberries vibrated his face.

"Maybe after our trademark of family love!" answered DK.

The ape opened his mouth and sucked Diddy's face in, from the bottom of his chin to the bottom end of his nostrils, sealing Diddy's mouth inside.

Diddy's eyes grew wide. He knew what was to come next …

DK blew as hard as he could, and the big raspberry kiss shook Diddy's head like a torture machine.

"MMMMMMMMMMMMMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMMMM!" screamed Diddy with a muffled voice sealed in DK's mouth.

Diddy shut his eyes as the raspberry kiss vibrated his whole body. This seemed to happen every time his uncle got so affectionate with him!

After what felt like ages, DK freed Diddy's face from his mouth, but not without leaving saliva splattered all over Diddy's face, along with a smile that was plastered on his face, and some endless giggles leftover from the "affectionate" raspberry torture.

DK grabbed a napkin and wiped the saliva off Diddy's face while the monkey struggled to stop his excessive giggling.

"There we go, little buddy. Now we've made our morning complete! Just a teaspoon of family love, and now it's smiles all day!" commented DK playfully.

Diddy could only look at DK and giggle happily at him as the ticklish sensations hadn't quite left his face just yet.

"Ready for a day filled with lots of fun, little Diddy-buddy?" asked DK.

Diddy took a few deep breaths to stop his giggling until his breathing was finally stable again.

"I'd love to have fun all day with you!" the monkey replied cheerfully.

"Alright then, Diddy-buddy! Let's get the basket ready, and we'll be outta here in almost no time!" said DK.

"AWESOME!" shouted Diddy excitedly as he jumped off DK's lap and grabbed the picnic basket that sat on the counter.

Diddy brought the basket to the dining table, and the duo started packing some favorable fruits that they could eat while they were out, such as oranges, cherries, and their big favorite …

BANANAS!

The two primates stuffed dozens of bananas into their basket, along with their other fruits, some juice boxes and some coconuts!

"I'll just go brush my teeth, and I'll be right back!" said Diddy happily as he ran out of the kitchen and scurried into the bathroom.

DK carefully closed the picnic basket and carried it into the living room, where he stopped and waited for his nephew to come out of the bathroom.

In just about no time, Diddy came charging out the bathroom door with sparkling white teeth! He looked ready for a fun day at the beach!

"Ready, little buddy!?" asked DK playfully.

"Ready, big buddy!" answered Diddy excitedly as he jumped onto DK's shoulders and wrapped his arms around his neck, "Lead the way, big pal!"

"You got it, Diddy-pal!" replied DK.

The ape walked to the front door and opened it to let the fresh air soothe their fur and skin.

Diddy felt extremely relaxed as he snuggled his face into his uncle's fur, letting out a big grin of comfort and relaxation while at it.

DK walked outside, closed the door and jumped off the porch, holding onto the basket in one hand, while Diddy clung all four of his limbs tightly onto DK's neck to stay on.

The ape came down to the ground on both of his feet with Diddy holding on tightly.

"Hold on tight, little buddy," said DK as he and Diddy grinned at each other, "Kongo Beach, here we come!"

"Family fun, here we come!" added Diddy happily as his uncle carried him into the jungle for a piggyback ride to the beach.

As the pair ventured through the Kongo Jungle, Diddy relaxed adorably on DK's shoulders and wiggled his toes playfully as if he was a fun-loving toddler. DK noticed the wiggling motions from Diddy's toes and smiled. This quickly brought back memories of when Diddy was still in diapers, always enjoying the fun piggyback rides on DK everyday! Today felt just like one of those days.

"I love you, big Donkey-buddy," whispered Diddy with a big smile as he thought of the piggyback memories from his diaper years.

"I love you, too, little Diddy-buddy," DK whispered back, wiggling a finger on Diddy's little toes, earning a cute laugh from his nephew, "Doesn't it feel like those adorable times when you were a toddler, always riding piggyback while you were still wearing diapers?"

"It does feel a lot like that," answered Diddy happily as his toes were tickled by DK, "I feel like your little baby right now, … only that I don't wear diapers anymore. I'm about to become a teenager, yet I still love riding piggyback on you."

"Still though, it's always nice to bring some of those memories back every once in a while," added DK.

"It sure is," agreed Diddy, "It's so nice to just relax and ride on you like I was still a baby."

"It feels great to me, too," said DK, "Whenever you relax on me, it tells me that you're very happy that we're together and being a great family."

"Aww, DK. You're such a wonderful ape!" said Diddy happily.

"And you're such a wonderful monkey!" replied DK playfully.

"Oh, DK! Don't get me started with all the laughter again! We've had plenty of that already!" said Diddy with a few giggles.

"Alright, little buddy. We'll save the rest of our laughs for later," answered DK.

"Okay, big pal," agreed Diddy.

After sharing another big smile with Diddy, DK continued on their journey to the beach.

Eventually, after a fifteen-minute venture through the densely-forested jungle, the duo finally made it to the Kongo Beach on the west coast of Kongo Bongo!

In an instant, the two could feel the breeze from the waves that were crashing onto the shoreline, which was about a quarter of a mile away.

"Well, little buddy, ready to have fun?" asked DK as he turned to his excited nephew.

"I can't wait to have fun, big buddy!" Diddy whispered back in such an excited tone.

DK playfully pulled Diddy's feet together and tickled them as he walked onto the sands of the beach.

"Heeheeheeheehehehehehehahahahahahaha!" laughed Diddy as his uncle carried him onto the open sands while tickling his feet, "DeeheeheeheeheeheeKahahahahahay!"

"Well, little buddy, looks like we didn't come a moment too soon!" commented DK as he set the basket down onto the sand and opened it.

The big gorilla pulled their large white beach towel and unfolded it before setting it down onto the sand, next to a coconut tree, to use as their picnic area for the day.

Then, DK sat down on their towel and playfully lifted Diddy off his shoulders, holding him by his wrists, and set him down onto his lap again before bear-hugging him once again, pinning both of his arms down in a squeeze.

Diddy smiled brightly and looked down at the brown fur on DK's arms that was giving him so much warmth and relaxing comfort.

Then, DK blew another raspberry kiss on top of Diddy's forehead while the monkey was looking down at his uncle's warm fur. The monkey instantly started laughing again as the sudden sensations on the top of his head shook him into more ticklishness.

"Cootchie cootchie coo, little buddy," whispered DK playfully as he hugged Diddy like a father cuddling his baby.

"DeeheeheeheeKahahahahahahay!" laughed Diddy happily as his uncle cuddled him for even more family love, "You're really making me look like a diaper-less baby now!"

"Sorry, little buddy, but I just wanna add some more ingredients which I know will make you so happy," replied DK.

"Oh, DK! You're such a loving uncle!" said Diddy in between playful giggles.

"And you're such a loving nephew!" replied DK happily.

"Aww, DK!" said Diddy as he put on his biggest smile all day … so far.

"Let's go into the water and have some fun!" offered DK.

"I'd love to!" answered Diddy excitedly.

Diddy jumped off DK's lap and allowed his uncle to get back up, then they ran together on all fours down the beach and into the cold water.

In an instant, Diddy's feet felt extremely cold as he took his first couple of steps into the water.

"OOH!" shouted Diddy as he stopped in his tracks.

"What is it, little buddy?" asked DK worryingly.

"This water's a little cold!" said Diddy as he took two steps backward.

This convinced DK to put in some more flavor into this …

The ape slowly lowered his hands to the water and threw his arms forward.

Water was launched towards Diddy, and it splashed all over him!

The monkey fell back and landed on his butt, which also began to feel cold.

"OOOOOF!" screamed Diddy as he briefly shivered from the stiffness all over his body.

"Did that getcha, little buddy?" chuckled DK.

Diddy looked up at DK with some angry eyes and an evil grin. He was determined to get back at him for soaking him in cold water.

"Ooh! This is about to get on like a cold water contest!" commented Diddy as he stood back up and charged towards DK.

The ape simply watched his nephew run towards him, knowing it was best to let him have some fun.

Then, Diddy brought his arms down into the water and quickly swung them up.

Water flew up and splashed all over DK's face. The ape shut his eyes just as Diddy splashed him.

"How about this, too!?" said Diddy eccentrically with an evil grin, as he tossed more water at DK.

Water continuously splashed on DK until he began shaking his head around, which signaled Diddy to stop splashing him so much.

"Sorry, am I too much of a good shot!?" snickered Diddy evilly.

"Ooh, you're gonna get it now, little buddy!" replied DK with an evil grin of his own.

The gorilla brought his arms down and started splashing Diddy in revenge. The monkey turned around and shut his eyes to dodge DK's shots, and he began splashing right back at his uncle.

DK felt more water splash onto his chest as he kept aiming for Diddy. He nearly fell backwards, but managed to maintain his balance.

Just then, Diddy took advantage of DK's near-loss of balance, and he jumped onto his uncle's chest, staring him in the face with an evil smile.

DK gave Diddy a pretentiously scared look as his nephew's hold on him once again took his balance away. In almost no time, DK fell backwards, bringing Diddy down with him with one huge splash!

The two Kongs found themselves underneath the surface of the water, with the floor not far below them. They both held their breaths as long as they could, while DK recovered and brought them back up to the surface.

Eventually, the two Kongs brought their heads back up and coughed several times each to let the water escape from their mouths.

DK looked at Diddy with an evil grin. He felt so amazed at how much of a competitor he was when it came to splashing games, but he also wanted to pay him back for nearly drowning them both.

"Well, little buddy, ya really think you're so slick, doncha!?" commented DK as he swam over to Diddy.

Diddy quickly realized what this meant …

"_Oh, no! He's gonna give me a big splash! I shouldn't have gotten so rough with this!" _thought Diddy as his uncle approached him.

"Uh, … hehe, … I'm sorry, big buddy," apologized Diddy nervously.

This failed to convince DK. He could see the guilt Diddy was hiding in his half-grin.

"I'm sure you are, … but we'll see if you truly are after I've taken good care of you first!" said DK with an evil chuckle.

Diddy's eyes grew wide as DK grabbed him by his sides and lifted him up.

Then, DK brought Diddy's belly right up to his face and blew a huge raspberry on it.

"EEEEEEEEKAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!" screamed Diddy in intense laughter as the mixture of cold water and a huge raspberry on his tummy shook him so badly that it felt like he was being trapped in one of the world's worst tickle torture machines.

Then, DK brought Diddy back down into the water and blew a huge raspberry kiss on his face once again.

"MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMMMMMM!" laughed Diddy in a muffled voice as his uncle kissed him.

DK released Diddy's extremely wet face and left him laughing so hard that he lost all control of his laughs.

"KEEEEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHAHAA!" the little monkey laughed out loud.

"There. I think you've learned your lesson by now!" commented DK playfully as he lifted Diddy onto his shoulders.

The ape turned his chest down and placed Diddy's legs onto his back. Then, he started swimming around with a laughing Diddy simply chilling on his back while trying to stop his excessive laughter.

"Now for another piece of family fun!" chuckled DK as he swam over the water with Diddy on his back.

DK's legs swung back and forth, which was enough to bring Diddy's smiling face right up to the back of DK's head. The monkey's arms were thrown around DK's neck as he continued to giggle from the leftover sensations on his wet body.

"Are you okay, little buddy?" asked DK.

Diddy spent another minute giggling before he could finally take some deep breaths and calm himself down. He simply cuddled on DK's back like a baby while riding on him.

"I'm okay, big buddy," the monkey finally answered; the first words he had spoken since before DK blew the raspberry on his belly.

"Sorry if I went a little overboard with those raspberries," said DK.

"I'm sorry I almost drowned us both," replied Diddy, "I was just having so much fun that I decided to get a little crazy."

"It's okay, little buddy. I know how that feels. It can always be fun to have fun when you're still very young and have a very long life ahead of ya!" chuckled DK.

"I don't know about you, DK, but I just love being so young!" commented Diddy eccentrically.

"I'm so glad you do!" replied DK, "I love having a young little nephew who loves having fun all the time!"

"Aww, DK!" chuckled Diddy with a big smile.

"Hold on tight, little buddy! This is gonna be a bumpy boat ride for ya!" said DK playfully as he started swimming at high speeds back to the shore.

Diddy kept his arms wrapped tightly around DK's neck as his uncle carried him over the water. To Diddy, it felt like a fun boat ride with plenty of furry comfort from his uncle!

Eventually, the two Kongs made it back to the beach, and DK stood up and ran on all fours, while Diddy stayed on his back and continued riding him.

Finally, the two reached their picnic area, and DK sat down on the white towel. The ape grabbed another big towel and threw it over their heads, wrapping it around their backs. Then, he lied down on his chest and allowed Diddy to cuddle cutely on his back like a baby. The huge towel wrapped around Diddy's neck made him look like he was using DK as his furry bed.

"How has your morning been so far, my precious little buddy?" asked DK.

Diddy brought his face alongside DK's and whispered into his ear …

"I'm having such a fun, cuddly time!"

"I'm so glad to hear that, little buddy, cus' we'll be here all day today 'till the sun goes down!" replied DK playfully.

"Yippee!" said Diddy excitedly, much to DK's happiness.

"Now that's excitement I love to hear from you!" commented DK.

"Oh, DK!" replied Diddy with a big smile.

The two Kongs giggled together and simply relaxed under the Tuesday morning sunlight.

About half an hour later, after DK and Diddy spent so much time chilling like an adorable family couple, DK looked over to his right and noticed something that brought joy to his heart.

"Hey, little buddy," whispered DK to Diddy.

"Yes, big buddy?" answered Diddy in a weak voice, having seemingly fallen asleep from resting on his uncle's back for so long.

"Look who's coming to join in on the beach fun," commented DK.

Diddy opened his eyes and rested his left ear on DK's head while peeking over to their right.

The little monkey could not believe his eyes! Four primates were setting up a picnic area just thirty yards away! Three of them were young monkeys, the youngest one somehow bigger than the other young ones, and the other one was a big gorilla that looked bigger and stronger than DK!

Diddy was especially astounded by the sight of one particular young monkey who looked almost like him …

* * *

_**It seems that Diddy is about to discover that he's not the only one his age who loves to have fun!**_

_**Who are these newcomers? Could Diddy be making some new friends after waiting for so long?**_

_**That will all come up in the next chapter!**_

_**See ya then! ;)**_


	7. A new friend for Diddy

_**Hey, everyone! I'm back, … and it's time for a young little monkey to start his new social life!**_

* * *

Diddy could not believe his eyes as he gazed at the family of newcomers. However, there was one monkey in particular whom he couldn't take his eyes off of.

The monkey was a female, about the same size and age as Diddy. She wore a pink tank top which was tied at the bottom, a pink beret over her head, large blue pearl earrings on her ears and pink knee pads on her kneecaps. Perhaps her most noticeable feature was her long golden hair which went all the way down her back.

Diddy thought this girl was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid his eyes upon! He couldn't deny that she was nothing short of perfect for a girl her age!

"_Wow! She is so gorgeous!" _thought Diddy as he kept his gaze on the young girl, _"I've never seen a girl as young as me who was so beautiful!"_

DK looked at Diddy and noticed his horrible effort to hide his thoughts. The monkey's mouth was wide open, and his eyes were wide with wonder.

"Alright, little buddy. What are ya thinking about?" asked DK.

This managed to get Diddy out of his trance, and the monkey instantly snapped back to reality when he heard DK's voice.

"Oh, um, … uh, … nothing," answered Diddy nervously.

"Uh-huh. I know when you're lying," replied DK with a smirk, "You're interested in that young girl, aren't ya?"

Diddy looked at DK with a weird face. He hated it when his uncle tried to invade his personal thoughts.

"What!? No! Come on, DK! You know I wouldn't be so much of a romance guy!" said Diddy.

"Well, you can't really assume that's the way you are, little buddy," said DK, "You probably could be into romance and you just haven't found out about it yet."

"Oh, yeah right!" replied Diddy sarcastically, "I know almost nothing about romance!"

"Hmm, we'll see about that, little Diddy-buddy," said DK.

Diddy only rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Come on, little buddy. Why don't we head over there and get acquainted with them?" offered DK.

Upon hearing those words, Diddy's heart began racing with fear. He wasn't used to meeting new people, and he was worried that they might laugh at him, too, even though DK had told him that they wouldn't.

Diddy quickly slid off DK's back and scooted a few paces away from DK. This greatly puzzled the big ape.

"Aww, little buddy. There's no need to be so nervous. These are very nice Kongs we're meeting here. They're not gonna ignore you or laugh at you," said DK in a comforting tone.

Diddy only looked at DK with a shy face. He didn't know if he was telling the truth or not.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, Diddy. You gotta start working on your social circles. You're at that age where it's time to start making some friends with others your age. I think today just might be the perfect time to get a head start at it," explained DK.

Diddy felt slightly happier after hearing DK's explanation, but he still felt as nervous as a wreck.

"Are you sure they'll be very friendly to me?" the poor monkey asked shyly.

"I'm sure, little buddy. These are the nicest Kongs that I've ever seen outside our family. Why don't we take a few deep breaths, and we'll head over and meet them," said DK.

Diddy did as DK had told, taking several deep breaths to calm himself down, then he regained some of his composure and stood up, taking DK's hand.

The two took a few steps closer to the newcomers, then Diddy almost stopped himself before persuading himself to not run away like a coward. He couldn't tell if these newcomers were friendly or not just from listening to his uncle's kind words. He had to find out for himself whether he liked it or not.

"Ready, little buddy?" asked DK in a whisper.

"I'm ready, DK," answered Diddy in a shy voice.

Then, the duo slowly approached the four new Kongs, and they finally caught their attention.

"Hey, look! We've got company!" said the bigger Kong as he noticed DK and Diddy.

The three kids all looked at the duo and let out some pleasant smiles.

"Hey, everybody!" greeted DK energetically.

The big Kong took one glance at DK, and his eyes went wide with wonder.

"Wait a minute! I've heard of you! You're that heroic ruler of Kongo Bongo, aren't you!?" he said.

"As a matter of fact, I am!" replied DK proudly.

"Lemme guess. Donkey Kong, am I right?" said the smallest Kong in the group, who was also a female.

"Lucky guess!" answered DK with a big grin.

This earned some delightful smiles from all of the newcomers!

Then, they looked at Diddy.

"And who is this adorable little guy?" asked the big Kong.

Diddy's heart immediately sank after hearing that …

"_Adorable? Adorable!? They think I'm adorable!? I never thought anyone other than DK would think that I was adorable! I feel like I'm in a new world!" _Diddy thought happily.

DK wrapped an arm around Diddy's back and gave him a playful hug.

"This is my little nephew, Diddy. He helped me reclaim our bananas from King K. Rool. He's my special sidekick!" explained DK to the new Kongs.

"Uh, … h-hi, everyone," greeted Diddy nervously.

"Hi, Diddy," greeted the new Kongs, with the exception of the girl whom Diddy had been gazing at.

Apparently, she seemed to be just as nervous as he was when it came to meeting new people. At least, that's what Diddy thought.

"By the way, my name's Chunky," the big Kong introduced himself, then he turned to the kids, "This big toddler here is Kiddy, and these two girls are my cousins Dixie and Tiny."

"_Dixie? So that's what that beautiful girl's name is?" _thought Diddy as he took another brief glance at the gorgeous girl that he couldn't take his eyes off of.

"Those sound like great names!" said Diddy playfully.

The Kongs all chuckled along with him.

"So, Diddy, ya wanna play in the water with us?" offered Tiny.

Diddy simply grinned at the young girl, feeling that this was one offer he couldn't refuse. This could only be the best way to get himself acquainted with this wonderful family of newcomers!

"As a matter of fact, I'd love to!" Diddy answered happily.

"Hey, Dixie, ya wanna play with us!?" called Tiny to her older sister.

"No, thanks. I think I'll just relax for a little while until lunchtime," answered Dixie as she pulled up a pink chair and started relaxing under a tree.

"Okay," replied Tiny before turning back to Diddy, "C'mon, Diddy! I'm sure the water's just fine!"

"Oh, I know it is!" added Diddy eccentrically as he followed Tiny down the beach to the water for some more beach fun.

DK watched happily as his nephew took off playing with his new friend.

"Well, whaddaya know? He's found a new friend already," he chuckled to himself.

The big ape sat down next to Chunky and watched Diddy and Tiny play in the water.

"So, is it just the four of you in the family?" asked DK.

"Not quite. We do have a few others in the family," answered Chunky.

"Sounds great. One of these days, you should bring them here and it'll be a fun beach party," joked DK.

"Well, some of us in this family do have a tendency of being shy," admitted Chunky, "I can be shy sometimes, and also so can Dixie."

"Oh, you'll be glad to know that you're not alone," said DK.

"Are there other Kongs on this island that are shy?" asked Chunky.

"Believe it or not, Diddy is very shy," replied DK.

"Really?" said Chunky with wide eyes, "He looked like he was very happy to meet us."

"He was after I had to tell him that you are a very friendly family," explained DK.

"Was he shy about meeting us when you first mentioned us to him?" asked Chunky.

"Oh, yes, he was," answered DK, "Very few Kongs have ever been nice to him. My poor little nephew has been bullied almost his whole life, … ever since his parents disappeared and I had to adopt him. I will say that I've raised him well, … but he's still getting into the roots of being a hero, and he hasn't really built in his social circles just yet."

"Does he have any friends in school?" asked Chunky curiously.

DK sighed as he heard that question. He knew the answer would disappoint Chunky.

"Sadly, he doesn't," the ape answered sadly, "Everyone at school picks on him. It's gotten pretty bad a few times, too."

"You mean, he's been beaten up in school?" said Chunky with shock.

"Unfortunately, he has," replied DK, "Poor little Diddy. I've tried many times to help him, but it hasn't worked every time."

"Well, maybe after spending a few hours with us, he'll have a few new friends, and he'll be a much happier monkey," said Chunky.

"I hope so," sighed DK.

The two lied down on their towel and sighed in relaxation, while Diddy and Tiny continued playing in the water like two playful toddlers.

The two young Kongs splashed each other with water and played in the sand for a while, until it was lunchtime.

"Diddy!" called DK, "Lunchtime, little buddy!"

"Coming, DK!" Diddy called back as he exchanged one more high-five with Tiny.

The playful monkey rejoined his uncle at their own picnic area and jumped right onto his lap.

DK opened their picnic basket and pulled out some juice boxes, bananas and coconuts, much to Diddy's excitement.

"Oh, yes! This is gonna be one awesome lunch!" said Diddy happily as he took a banana and a juice box.

"Let's dig in, little buddy!" chuckled DK as he broke a coconut in half and opened it.

The two heroes enjoyed their lunch like an eccentric family couple; drinking their juice, eating their bananas and sipping the enjoyable coconut milk! It was all such a delicious combination for them!

While they enjoyed their lunch, Diddy overheard a conversation between Dixie and Tiny …

"Didn't you say that you wanted a boyfriend?" asked Tiny.

"Tiny, I told you a million times that I may want one someday, but I just don't want one right now," answered Dixie.

"Well, one of these days I think you just might meet your match," said Tiny, "There's plenty of Kongs around here that are your age."

"Oh, shut up, sis," retorted Dixie.

"_Well, … I guess there goes my chance at having a girlfriend," _thought Diddy sadly as he heard those words from Dixie.

However, the little monkey decided to shake it off and continue eating his lunch.

"_Maybe she might change her mind."_

As soon as DK and Diddy finished their lunch, they placed their empty juice boxes, banana peels and empty coconut halves in a small section of their picnic basket, then they decided to settle in for another period of relaxation under their coconut tree, with Diddy resting on DK's back again.

Meanwhile, Dixie was looking over at the uncle and nephew pair relaxing, and she tried taking a closer look at Diddy.

She thought he looked adorable on DK's back, but she also thought he looked adorable in general, particularly when he smiled. She couldn't deny that Diddy's smile was the most handsome smile that anyone ever had. Diddy's small size, his tail, his red clothes, his eyes and his wonderful smile were all such a wonderful combination for a handsome monkey his age.

"_He's such a handsome monkey," _thought Dixie as she watched Diddy cuddle on DK's back, _"He looks so amazing for a monkey his age, and he must be very lucky to have his uncle around to keep him company. I wonder if he even has any friends?"_

However, she still felt too shy to walk up to them and say 'hello'. Her antisocial tendencies were striking her down again, and she ultimately decided to just stay where she was.

"_Maybe if we're alone?"_

A few hours later, the sun began to set over the western horizon, turning the skies from blue to pink.

DK and Diddy walked back to where the newcomers were sitting. They had just enjoyed another two hours of fun on the sand and in the water, playing like a wonderful family!

Chunky had just finished packing everything for their trip back home.

"Heading home, I assume?" asked Diddy.

"Yep. It's getting late, and it's just about time to head back to the home sweet jungle," replied Chunky.

"It was really nice meeting you," said Tiny.

"It was nice meeting you all, too," replied DK.

Diddy looked around and noticed that Dixie wasn't around.

"Wait a minute. I thought there were four of you. Where's the other girl?" asked Diddy curiously.

"Oh, Dixie often likes to spend some time to herself on the beach, watching the sunset. It always refreshes her mind," explained Tiny.

Diddy was more curious about Dixie than ever now. There was so much he wanted to ask that beautiful girl, but he didn't know how to ask. After all, he wasn't very social.

"She'll catch up after a while. She's already memorized where our new house is," added Chunky before turning to Kiddy and Tiny, "Okay, kids. Time to hit the hay."

Chunky picked up Kiddy and placed him on his back before grabbing their picnic basket. Tiny followed them from behind.

"I guess we'll see you around," said Chunky.

"See ya soon!" added Tiny.

"Bye!" DK and Diddy replied together as they watched the trio leave.

Soon, it was just the two of them alone on the beach under the colorful sunset, or, at least, it seemed that way.

Diddy looked around, and he finally found Dixie sitting on the sand just shy of where the water could reach. He simply stood there and gazed at her for what seemed like endless hours.

Then, DK tapped his shoulder, catching the monkey's attention by surprise.

"Hey!" whispered Diddy, "You don't have to sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry about that, little buddy, … but it's time to go home," replied DK.

"Could I stay for at least a few more minutes?" asked Diddy desperately, "I wanna admire those beautiful colors."

DK sighed and grinned at his little nephew. Then, he looked at the sky and took a few seconds to admire the gorgeous colors provided by the sunset.

"Okay, little buddy. Just promise me you'll be back in less than half of an hour," said DK.

"I promise," answered Diddy.

"That's a good boy," said DK, poking Diddy's belly and making him yelp in ticklishness.

"Hey!" whispered Diddy, trying his best not to gain Dixie's attention.

"See ya in a little bit, Diddy-bud," said DK.

"See ya soon, big pal," replied Diddy.

DK turned around and grabbed their picnic basket and towel, then he left the beach and disappeared into the jungle.

As soon as DK was out of sight, Diddy turned back to the colorful sunset for a few seconds before shifting his focus over to Dixie. The girl was still sitting in the sand, staring off into the sea. It seemed that nothing could take her attention away from what she was gazing at.

Diddy took a few baby steps closer to Dixie and tried his best not to gain her attention while he grew closer. He wasn't sure if now was the time to say 'hello' or simply back away and go home. His lack of courage was trying to strike down his heart again, but he knew that this could be the only chance he'd ever get at doing this.

"_No, I can't!" _thought Diddy, _"I can't do this! She'll just run away if I try to say 'hello'. I have no hope."_

Then, he remembered what DK had told him …

"_You've gotta start making your own social circles, little buddy. You've gotta start making some new friends of your own."_

Those words echoed in Diddy's head for nearly a minute, almost making him cry at the thought that it could be impossible for him to make any new friends. He didn't know what to do now.

"_Should I?" _he asked himself in his thoughts, _"Should I take this one and only chance?"_

Diddy looked at Dixie again. Her golden hair was blowing in the breeze as the waves narrowly missed her toes, which had pink nail varnish on them. She seemed to be in her own world as she continued gazing at the sunset.

At last, Diddy decided to gather up his courage and do it. He was going to meet this girl, and nothing was going to stop him! It was now or never!

The little monkey edged even closer to the girl and stopped once he was almost right behind her. He took a few quiet breaths to keep himself calm, and he let a gulp down his throat.

"Um, … h-hello," he said in a shy voice.

Dixie turned her head up slightly, then she looked back and noticed a nervous Diddy standing just a few yards away.

She was slightly startled after suddenly realizing that she wasn't alone. She never liked being disturbed in such times like these.

However, she also felt sorry for how nervous this red-capped monkey was. She could tell how nervous he was after hearing his shy voice saying "hello" to her.

"Hi," Dixie replied to Diddy in such a sweet voice.

Diddy thought that Dixie's voice was the sweetest in all of Kongo Bongo! It just about made him cry, but he quickly stopped himself from crying and continued looking into Dixie's beautiful eyes.

"Uh, … would you mind if I joined you for a few minutes?" asked Diddy nervously with a few drops of sweat running down his face.

Dixie was astounded by such an idea. She typically never liked having company with her whenever she gazed at the sea, but seeing that this was one adorable monkey who looked like he needed a friend, she couldn't refuse such a cute offer.

"Sure. I don't mind at all," said Dixie kindly.

Diddy couldn't believe what he had heard. For the very first time in his young life, someone his age had let him join in something that was worthwhile.

The red-capped simian slowly approached Dixie and sat down in the sand right next to her. He almost couldn't look at her at first, but he let his senses of beauty kick in, and he looked into Dixie's eyes again.

"Do you often watch these colorful sunsets, too?" asked Dixie.

"Well, … n-not that often," replied Diddy, "I love how colorful they are, though."

"So do I," added Dixie, "I come here every night so that I can refresh my thoughts, except for when it rains."

Diddy nodded his head, having found this to be interesting.

"So, … how long have you been in Kongo Bongo?" asked Diddy.

"My family moved here from another island not so long ago," answered Dixie, "It's me, my sister, and two cousins. An older one and a younger one."

"I thought Chunky mentioned that there were others in your family," said Diddy, recalling their first family meeting earlier today.

"There are, but they're still trying to see if they can move in with us," explained Dixie.

Diddy faintly grinned at Dixie. He felt happy that she had a good family.

"So do you have a family?" Dixie asked Diddy, "I've heard some recent stories about a now famous ape named Donkey Kong, and I heard him mention today that you were his nephew."

"Yep. I just so happen to be his nephew," said Diddy, "I was also his sidekick in that painful adventure."

"Really!?" said Dixie in astonishment, "You must be very adventurous! Maybe you're just as adventurous as I am!"

"Wait! You love going on adventures, too!?" said Diddy in surprise.

"I adore adventures!" said Dixie in an excited tone, "I love exploring places I've never seen before!"

"So do I!" replied Diddy, "DK and I love going on adventures together! He knows how to make them so much fun! After all, we're family."

"That sounds like fun!" said Dixie as she thought about how DK and Diddy must have gone on adventures.

However, she also wondered if Diddy had anyone else in his family other than DK.

"So, … um, … other than your uncle, is there anyone else in your family?" asked Dixie.

Diddy sighed as he thought of how to explain his family.

"Well, … there are my great grandparents, Cranky and Wrinkly. Wrinkly teaches at Kong Kollege, which is the school that I go to, … and Cranky used to be the ruler before DK succeeded. Nowadays, he's simply an old rant. He never stops complaining about how things have changed since his heyday. He doesn't really like me, either."

"Oh, ya silly guy! I'm sure he likes you. He just doesn't quite have a good understanding. That's all," chuckled Dixie.

Diddy let out a faint grin. He was sure she was wrong, but otherwise it could be something about Cranky he didn't know about.

"I hope you're right," said Diddy as he looked down at his feet.

Dixie noticed the down expression on Diddy's face, and she wrapped an arm around his back to cheer him up.

"Aww, don't feel so bad," said Dixie gently.

"I'm sorry," apologized Diddy, "I've always had a tendency to let negative thoughts slip into my mind."

"Really?" said Dixie with a worried look.

"Long story. I don't wanna talk about it," sighed Diddy.

"Okay," replied Dixie, still feeling curious about why Diddy was always feeling so down.

"Anyways, I guess I better get going. DK wanted me home in less than half an hour," said Diddy as he stood up and brushed the sand off the back of his legs.

"Okay, handsome," replied Dixie with a smile.

This earned a blushing smile from Diddy. Never in his life had he been called 'handsome' before. This was something completely new for him.

Dixie stood up and held Diddy's hand.

"Um, … by the way, … my name's Diddy," said the red-capped simian.

"That's a cute name for a cute monkey," commented Dixie, earning a big smile from Diddy, "I'm Dixie."

"Dixie?" said Diddy, "What a beautiful name."

The two young monkeys smiled at each other and began to fall into some romantic trance which only lasted a few seconds before Diddy realized what time it was.

"Oh, dear! DK's gonna be expecting me any second now! I gotta go!" he panicked.

"Okay, Diddy," replied Dixie, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, Dixie," said Diddy as they shook each others' hands one more time.

Then, Diddy turned and started running on all fours towards the jungle.

"Bye, Diddy!" called Dixie.

"Bye, Dixie!" Diddy called back as he disappeared into the jungle.

The simian ran through the jungle on all fours as fast as he could. He couldn't be late or else DK would probably scold him for staying out so late. Nothing could slow down this young, energetic monkey. He was one heck of a runner, and he was quite acrobatic!

Within five minutes after leaving the beach, Diddy found that easily recognizable tree house with the large "KONG" sign over the front door.

"Home," he sighed as he rushed to the ladder and climbed up to the porch.

The monkey sprinted across the porch and opened the front door.

DK was sitting on the living room sofa, waiting for his nephew to appear.

"Hey, DK," panted Diddy as he walked in and closed the door, "I'm back."

DK looked at the clock on the wall and turned back to Diddy with a smirk.

"You're three minutes late, little buddy," said DK.

Diddy's eyes grew wide in shock.

"Oops. I'm busted," he said to himself.

"No, it's okay, little buddy. I'll let you off the hook this time. We've had a wonderful day after all," said DK with a warm smile.

Diddy sighed in relief, knowing that his uncle was not punishing him for being late.

"So, how was the beach while you were alone?" asked DK curiously.

Diddy sat down next to DK on the couch and smiled at his uncle.

"Well, … I wasn't alone … exactly," said Diddy.

"What do ya mean, little buddy?" asked DK in confusion.

Diddy smiled brightly at DK.

"I've met that beautiful girl!" said Diddy excitedly.

DK was amazed at this! He was so happy to hear that his nephew had finally found a new friend!

"You met her!? That's great, little buddy! See, I told ya it wasn't so hard to find a friend your age!" said DK happily, pulling Diddy onto his lap for a family cuddle.

Diddy smiled and giggled happily as his uncle pulled him in for a cuddle.

"Her name's Dixie," continued Diddy.

"Dixie? Now, that's a beautiful name for a beautiful monkey," commented DK.

"Oh, DK!" said Diddy, feeling embarrassed.

"I really meant it, little buddy. A beautiful monkey should deserve such a beautiful name, just like you. You're such a cute little monkey, and you've got such a cute name!" chuckled DK.

"Aww, DK! Staahahahahahahahop!" giggled Diddy as he blushed in embarrassment.

"Come here, my little cutie!" said DK playfully as he lied down on the couch, resting his head on a pillow, pulling Diddy down with him in a big family hug.

The two Kongs laughed together as DK pulled the couch blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped it over both of them.

"Ya know, little buddy, after such a gorgeous day on the beach, you deserve to sleep and cuddle with me all night!" said DK happily as he hugged Diddy, keeping the blanket up to their necks.

"D'aww! DK, you're such a wonderful uncle!" chuckled Diddy happily.

"And you're such a wonderful nephew, Diddy!" replied DK.

The duo shared some wonderful laughs over the next minute until DK sucked Diddy's face into his mouth and blew a gentle raspberry kiss.

"MMMMMMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMMM!" screamed Diddy in muffled laughter as DK kissed him lovingly.

Then, the gorilla released his nephew's saliva-covered face, which had a big smile plastered on it.

Diddy was laughing uncontrollably after that. There was no way he could stop it!

DK grabbed a tissue from the nearby tissue box and wiped the saliva off of Diddy's face, while the monkey tried his best to stop his laughing.

Eventually, Diddy started to grow tired, and he let out a big yawn before taking some deep breaths.

"Feeling sleepy, little buddy?" asked DK.

"Yeah, I kinda am," said Diddy with another yawn.

"Okay, Diddy. Let's go ahead and get some shuteye," whispered DK.

"Okay, big buddy," replied Diddy as he snuggled onto DK's chest with the blanket on top of them, keeping them nice and warm.

"I love you, little Diddy-buddy," whispered DK gently.

"I love you, too, big Donkey-buddy," replied Diddy in a weak whisper as DK turned the lamp's brightness down.

"Sweet dreams, little cutey," said DK.

"Sweet dreams, big pal," replied Diddy.

"Goodnight, Diddy."

"Goodnight, DK."

With that, Diddy closed his eyes and fell asleep, resting his head on DK's cheek.

DK sighed in relaxation as he felt the warmth from having Diddy sleep so closely with him.

Then, the ape let out a silent yawn and fell asleep himself.

The two Kongs slept together like a father and baby throughout the night, with plenty of pleasant dreams to keep them close together as family!

* * *

_**So, Diddy has discovered a new girl! Will she become a big part of Diddy's life? Will things continue to improve for Diddy and give his heart more hope than it ever had?**_

_**I'll see you in chapter eight! ;)**_


	8. Diddy's Crush

_**Hey, everyone! I'm finished with college algebra, and now I can write stuff more often over the summer months as long as I'm not too preoccupied with my awesome emulators!**_

_**Anyways, enjoy chapter eight!**_

* * *

The Wednesday morning skies showed bright sunshine over Kongo Bongo. For many on the island, it was simply the start of another brand new day in the jungle!

DK had just woken up on the couch with Diddy still sleeping on top of him just like he was on Monday. The little monkey was snoozing cutely with a grin on his face, which DK found to be so adorable.

"_He must be having romantic dreams about Dixie,"_ thought DK as he watched his nephew sleep on him.

However, once he looked at the clock, he realized that it was 7:00 AM. Diddy's morning class at Kong Kollege would start in just an hour and a half. He had to get him up now.

"Diddy?" whispered DK as he hugged a sleeping Diddy and started wiggling his fingers on his back.

The sensations on Diddy's back quickly became ticklish, and the simian started giggling in his sleep.

"Ookeeheeheeheeheeheeheehehehehehehehehahahahahahahaha!" giggled Diddy with a huge smile on his face.

"Time to get up, little buddy. We've got a new day ahead of us," said DK playfully as he tickled Diddy's back even harder.

"Staaahahahahahahahahahahahahop!" begged Diddy as he kept his eyes closed.

"Ya gotta get up sooner or later, little Diddy-buddy. Time to rise and shine," chuckled DK.

Eventually, Diddy opened his eyes, unable to sleep any longer from the ticklish sensations on his back. He looked into DK's eyes and could only grin adorably.

"Good morning, my precious, little Diddy-buddy," greeted DK.

"Good morning, my big Donkey-buddy," replied Diddy cutely.

"How well did you sleep, little buddy?" asked DK.

"I slept very well, big buddy," answered Diddy, "How about you?"

"I slept very well, too," replied DK.

The two Kongs smiled at each other for a minute before DK, still hugging Diddy, sat up and set his nephew on his feet in the same way he would when he was a toddler.

"I know this may be difficult for you, … but we've gotta get you ready for school," said DK.

Diddy felt reluctant on even getting himself ready for anything like school, especially after the beating his classmates gave him Monday afternoon almost led to him committing suicide. He felt just as unwanted in Kong Kollege as he ever had been, even if things were beginning to improve for him personally, such as finding a new friend on the beach.

DK sighed and hugged Diddy again as they left the couch and walked towards Diddy's bedroom door.

"You know how much I don't wanna go to school anymore, DK," said Diddy sadly.

"I know, Diddy, and I'm sorry, but Wrinkly called me last night while I was waiting for you," explained DK, "She's been worried about you, and she's not very happy with your attendance records."

Diddy sighed in disappointment.

"I guess I have disappointed her for the first time ever," said Diddy.

"Aww, no, you haven't," replied DK, "She's happy about your grades, but she's been concerned about your well-being. While she has been wishing you well, she also complained that you've already missed an unacceptable number of school days."

This shocked Diddy so much that his eyes grew wide and he gulped nervously.

DK gently hugged his nephew again.

"I know, little buddy," he said in a comforting tone.

"Exactly how many days have I missed?" asked Diddy worryingly.

"Well, … she said that so far this school year, which started only a few weeks ago, you have already been absent nine times," answered DK.

"Nine times!?" shouted Diddy in horror with sweat pouring down his face.

"Nine times," replied DK with a worried look on his face.

"This adventure we went on, this time I took off after getting beaten up by evil classmates, and a day at the beach yesterday made up nine days!?" said Diddy.

"I'm afraid so, little buddy. It's gotten to the point where you almost can't afford to miss anymore school days," said DK sadly.

Diddy sank his head and wrapped his arms around DK's back, while tears threatened to spill from the poor monkey's eyes.

"What am I gonna do, DK!?" he cried miserably.

"Well, the least I can do is keep encouraging you while also keeping in touch with Wrinkly in order to get her to help you out," said DK.

Diddy looked up at DK and let some tears out of his eyes. DK felt very sorry for his nephew and crouched down to hug him. The monkey wrapped his arms around his uncle's neck, while the ape gently wrapped his arms around his nephew's back.

"It's gonna be okay, little buddy," whispered DK gently, "We'll take this one step at a time, okay?"

Diddy sniffled a few times and looked into DK's eyes again. The ape was grinning gently at him, looking as if he was willing to keep him happy.

"Okay, big buddy," the monkey answered with sadness still in his voice.

"There, there. That's my boy," said DK softly as the two kept hugging each other, "Shh. It'll be okay."

This managed to get Diddy to stop crying long enough for him to regain his composure.

"Wanna jump into the shower while I make you some breakfast?" offered DK.

"Okay, pal," answered Diddy softly with a faint grin.

The duo broke their hug so that Diddy could go into his room to pick out some fresh clothes. DK walked into the kitchen to prepare some breakfast for Diddy just as the monkey came out of his room and headed into the bathroom for his shower.

Diddy took off his clothes from yesterday and stepped into the shower. He twisted the shower knob, and fresh warm water came sprinkling out of the shower head, instantly soothing the monkey's skin and fur. He sighed in relaxation as he let the water soothe him warmly.

Then, the monkey took some mango-flavored shampoo and poured some on an orange sponge before scrubbing it all over himself to ensure that he was clean and that he smelled brilliant.

After rinsing the shampoo off, Diddy let the water soothe him for a few more minutes while he thought about his conversation with Dixie on the beach the night before.

"_She seemed to be so curious about why I was down," _thought Diddy as a beautiful image of Dixie appeared in his head, _"Maybe if I see her in private again, I should tell her about how things have put such a negative effect on my life, … but I don't want her to love me just because she feels sorry for me. Love shouldn't have to come that way. No, I'll wait a while before telling her my life stories."_

It was quite true. You couldn't properly love someone just because you felt sorry for him, like some people did. Love had to come in more romantic ways, … which Diddy knew very little about. After all, he had been antisocial his whole life, and he had only just met this girl yesterday. For now, it was best to just keep it at simple dates and possibly some playtime if there was ever the mood for it.

Finally, Diddy snapped out of his trance and turned off the shower head before stepping out of the tub. He grabbed a red towel and dried himself off, being sure to get all the wetness off of him.

Then, the little simian put his fresh clothes on and scurried into the kitchen, where a wonderful surprise awaited him …

"Surprise, little buddy! It's waffle morning!" announced DK as he noticed Diddy stepping into the room.

Diddy looked at the table, and his eyes grew wide with wonder.

On the table was a plate of three waffles with banana pieces and syrup poured all over them!

"WOW!" yelled Diddy excitedly, "WAFFLES! I LOVE BANANA WAFFLES! THEY'RE ONE OF MY FAVORITES!"

The monkey instantly scrambled to the table on all fours, and he sat down in his chair and immediately began eating his lovely waffles!

DK chuckled as he watched Diddy run to the table and eat his breakfast, like a cat or dog being treated to his or her favorite meal.

Diddy finished his first waffle within just fifty seconds, and he quickly started his second one. The bananas and syrup only made the taste even better! His tongue felt like he was having the meal of a lifetime!

"I'm loving this so much, DK!" shouted Diddy happily to his uncle as he ate his second waffle, "You're the best uncle ever!"

"Aww, Diddy!" replied DK in a chuckle, "You're the best nephew ever, too!"

"Aww!" said a blushing Diddy.

Soon, the monkey finished his second waffle and quickly wolfed down his last one within the next minute!

"Just two minutes and forty-seven seconds," said DK.

"You were timing me?" said a surprised Diddy.

"I thought I mind as well, since you love eating waffles so much!" chuckled DK.

"Oh, DK!" replied Diddy with a forced smile.

"Go ahead and brush your teeth, and I'll give ya some cuddles before you go," said DK.

"Okay, big buddy," replied Diddy, and he quickly rushed out of the kitchen.

DK picked up Diddy's empty plate from the dining table and rinsed it off in the sink before setting it down with the other dirty dishes.

Then, the ape walked back into the living room and waited for Diddy to come out.

While at it, he stepped into Diddy's bedroom and grabbed his backpack, then he left it on the living room sofa and returned to the bathroom door.

Sure enough, not a moment too soon, Diddy opened the bathroom door and stepped out with fresh white teeth.

At that moment, DK grabbed his nephew and lifted him off the floor for a hug, much to the monkey's surprise.

"Hey! Whooa!" shouted Diddy as his uncle pulled him up for a playful hug and carried him over to the couch.

"Alright, my little cutey-buddy. Time for some family cuddles!" said DK happily as he sat down on the couch and held Diddy on his lap, cuddling him like a toddler.

"Aww, DK! You're so loving!" replied Diddy happily as he wrapped his arms around DK's neck to return the hug.

The two Kongs nuzzled each others' faces and blew kisses all over each other for the next few minutes while they hugged and cuddled each other in family love.

"I love you, Diddy," said DK warmly.

"I love you, too, DK," replied Diddy with an adorable smile.

DK then grabbed Diddy's backpack and playfully nudged it against Diddy's back before grabbing the monkey's wrists and tickling them.

"DeeheeheeheeKahahahahahay!" laughed Diddy eccentrically as his uncle put the monkey's arms through the straps of his backpack, "Yohohohou're mahahaking meeheeheeheehee feeheeheeheel sohoho plahahahayfuhuhul!"

"It's my job, little buddy," said DK, "It's to make you feel like a playful little kid, … and my playful little nephew, too!"

"Oh, DeeheeheeheeheeKahahahahay!" giggled Diddy happily as his uncle started tickling him all over.

"Time for some tickles, my precious little buddy," said DK as he wrapped one arm around Diddy's back, pinning his arms down, and tickled him all around with his other hand.

"Eekeeheeheeheeheehehehehehehehahahahahahaaaa!" laughed Diddy as his body was treated to ticklish sensations, "Ooohoohoohoohoohoohoohahahahaaa!"

"Aww, little buddy," chuckled DK as he kept tickling Diddy, "I just love the sound of those laughs and the sight of your beautiful smile!"

Diddy's cheeks blushed as he listened to those loving words while the sensations kept tickling him.

"How are ya feeling now, little buddy?" asked DK with a big smile.

"I feeheeheeheeheeheel sohohohohoho gohohohohohohohood!" laughed Diddy, "Pleeeeeheeheeheeheeheeheeheease stahahahahahahahahop!"

"Okay, little buddy. I'll let you off the hook, since you've been in such wonderful behavior!" said DK as he finally stopped tickling Diddy and enabled him to catch his breath.

Diddy panted several times before taking some deep breaths to calm himself down.

"DK, you're so crazy sometimes!" said Diddy sarcastically.

"Because I love your smile so much!" replied DK playfully, "What's a good morning without a good smile?"

Diddy blushed and cutely smiled at his uncle, who smiled right back at him. Then, the two hugged each other for several minutes, enjoying each others' company as Diddy snuggled into DK.

"Are you ready to get going, little buddy?" asked DK.

Diddy sighed unhappily as he lazed on DK's lap. The ape knew that his nephew would again be saying "no" to school. Those bullies would probably attempt to kill him again if he was out alone in the jungle.

"I'm ready, big buddy," sighed Diddy softly as he gathered up his courage.

DK gently wrapped an arm around Diddy's back and nuzzled his nephew's face.

"I'll be right here when you get home this afternoon. If anything happens, I'll be right here to snuggle you to a family nap," said DK warmly.

Diddy blushed in embarrassment again as he grinned at that idea. He thought that family naps with DK was always such a cute thing to do, even now when he was twelve.

"You're so sweet, DK," said Diddy adorably.

"You're so sweet, too, Diddy," replied DK happily.

The two Kongs playfully nuzzled each others' faces and shared some happy giggles before Diddy finally jumped off DK's lap and walked towards the front door.

Then, the monkey turned back to DK and grinned at him once more.

"I love you, big Donkey-buddy," the simian said to his loving uncle.

"I love you, too, little Diddy-buddy," the ape replied to his nephew.

"See ya later, DK," said Diddy as he opened the front door.

"See ya later, Diddy," answered DK as Diddy walked through the doorway and closed the door behind him.

DK watched as Diddy jumped off the front porch of the tree house and disappeared from sight. He felt worried for him about being bullied, but he also felt happy that he was trying his best to survive school. He especially felt proud for Diddy being able to find a new friend!

Diddy was walking alone in the jungle on his way to Kong Kollege. He had let out some nervous gulps as he thought of the possibility that his evil classmates could be lurking at any corner of any tree in the Kongo Jungle, ready for a surprise attack.

Just then, he heard a voice …

"Well, hello there."

That voice was like sweet music to Diddy's ears. He could only make one guess as to who that voice came from.

The curious little monkey looked around the trees and plants surrounding him, but all he could see were gorgeous fruits alongside trees, grass and beautiful flowers. Other than that, he spotted no sign of animal life.

Then …

Diddy felt something lightly poke his right shoulder. This nearly shocked the monkey, but he managed to keep his composure and slowly turn his head to see what it was that tapped him.

There, standing just in front of Diddy … was Dixie, … that beautiful monkey he had seen on the beach last night! Her pink clothes, sparkling earrings and golden hair were all a sight for Diddy's sore eyes, especially in the middle of a sunlit jungle! His eyes went wide with wonder as he looked into Dixie's beautiful eyes.

"Hi," Dixie spoke cutely.

Diddy nearly shed a tear from his eye as he heard that lovely voice. It was the most beautiful voice he had ever heard in his life.

"Hi," the red-capped simian replied.

"I'm sorry if I surprised you, … but I can be that way sometimes," said Dixie.

"Oh, no. It's no trouble at all," replied Diddy.

"So, where are you off to on this fine Wednesday?" asked Dixie.

Diddy sunk his head and sighed.

"I have to go to school," he said solemnly.

"Aw, there's nothing wrong with school, is there?" said Dixie curiously.

Diddy looked at Dixie again and struggled to find the right words to describe how miserable life at school had been for him.

"(gulp) Did I mention that I don't have any friends at Kong Kollege?" asked Diddy.

"Hmm, I know you mentioned that you had a hard time making friends," recalled Dixie.

"Well, … (gulp) … I've been picked on my whole life. Everyone pushes me around and beats me to the ground. I may be Wrinkly's brightest student, but to the other students I'm simply an annoying punching bag," said Diddy sadly.

Dixie was shocked to hear this. She never thought that a sweet little monkey like Diddy could be so antisocial because other kids always beat him up at school.

"In fact, just two days ago, while I was on my way home from school, they actually tried to kill me," continued Diddy as tears threatened to spill from his eyes in front of his new friend.

Dixie gasped as she heard that last sentence. She had no idea until now how rough Diddy's life had been here on Kongo Bongo. Judging by what she heard about his recent adventure with DK during their time on the beach last night, it seemed that this adventure would only make it worse for Diddy's school life.

At last, Diddy was forced to turn away from Dixie and let some tears out of his eyes. He had forgotten about keeping his negative experiences to himself rather than let it stand at just simple romantic words which he was still learning about. He didn't know what his new friend would make of this, but he was sure she would probably turn him away and never speak to him again after hearing these nightmarish stories. He wanted to knock himself out for revealing his worst experiences with Dixie. It may have been the last move he would make in front of her.

But then …

Diddy felt something wrap around his chest and hug him from behind. He could only assume it was Dixie.

"Hey," whispered Dixie gently, receiving Diddy's attention, "It's okay, Diddy."

"I thought you wouldn't want to have anything to do with someone who's been bullied all his life," said Diddy miserably as he tried to stop his tears.

"Aww, but I think you don't deserve to be bullied. You're such a handsome guy. You look like a very acrobatic monkey, you're adventurous and you love having fun. I think you're a wonderful guy whether or not you get bullied in school," explained Dixie with a warm grin.

Diddy turned to Dixie's eyes and grinned at this beautiful and friendly girl again. He thought this was just too good to be true; a friend his age who seemed to like him regardless of whether or not others didn't think he was worthy.

"In fact, if it means so much to you, I'll try to see if I can get into Kong Kollege during this school year … just so that we can be together. I could probably keep you away from those bullies," said Dixie.

Diddy was shocked to hear that. What if Dixie were to be bullied by those kids, too? After all, she was roughly the same size and age as him, so chances were she would probably get beaten up as badly as he had been.

"What!? No! They'll bully you and beat you up, too! As much as I love the idea of us being friends in school, I would be terrified about seeing you being turned into a punching bag just like me!" panicked Diddy.

"Relax, Diddy," replied Dixie, "I do know a few good moves that will keep them away from you. I was trained by my father before he and mom disappeared, and I learned a little more from my cousin Chunky."

Diddy let out a light sigh of relief, but he still felt worried for Dixie.

"I hope they're good moves," commented Diddy.

"They're pretty good, alright!" replied Dixie with a smile.

Diddy smiled back at Dixie as they looked into each others' eyes again.

"Well, I gotta get going, Dixie. I don't wanna be late for school," sighed Diddy.

"Okay, Diddy. I'll see you this afternoon if you'd like," said Dixie.

"Okay. Sounds cool,"replied Diddy with a cool grin.

Dixie chuckled and wrapped an arm around Diddy's back before briefly tickling his face with her other hand, earning some giggles from Diddy.

"Keeheeheeheehee! That tickles! Heheheheheeheehee!" giggled Diddy.

"Sorry about that," replied Dixie as she released her grip on Diddy and allowed him to leave.

"See ya later, Dixie!" said Diddy as he turned away and waved to his new friend.

"See ya later, Diddy!" replied Dixie, waving back as Diddy disappeared into another part of the Kongo Jungle.

As Diddy walked the rest of the way to Kong Kollege, all he could think about was Dixie. He could only think about how nice and supportive she was to him, and how beautiful she looked. He felt that she was the perfect girl for him.

It was then that Diddy finally realized that he had been experiencing something he never thought he would experience at any point in his life …

…

He had developed a crush on a girl!

* * *

_**And so, we now begin a period of a big change in Diddy's life. Could this be the start of a new romantic relationship?**_

_**Chapter nine will be coming soon, where Diddy and Dixie could develop a relationship so extraordinary to them!**_

_**;)**_


	9. Love Under the Storm

_**Hello, everyone! I'm back for more of "Heart with No Hope", where Diddy is about to endure another day of school after taking yet another day off.**_

* * *

Diddy walked down to the grounds surrounding Kong Kollege, and, much to his surprise, there wasn't a single person in sight.

"Everyone must be inside already," Diddy said to himself as he continued towards the schoolhouse door, "I sure hope I'm not late."

The little monkey stepped into the schoolroom, and he noticed that all fifteen of his classmates were already in their seats. Wrinkly was just standing up from her chair.

"Oh, Diddy. Thank goodness!" sighed Wrinkly as she spotted Diddy approaching his desk.

"Sorry I'm late, Wrinkly," apologized Diddy, "I overslept a little."

"No worries, Diddy. You're just in time, as a matter of fact," replied Wrinkly.

Diddy sighed in relief as he sat down at his desk.

Diddy's classmates, however, were furious at the sight of him. Just as they were hoping he wouldn't show up, there he was at the last possible moment, ready for his daily schoolwork. They all glared angrily behind Diddy's back.

"Don't even think about it today, class!" ordered Wrinkly as she noticed some death glares, "I know what you all did to him the other day, and I will not tolerate any of this nonsense for another second! You hear me!?"

The students stopped their glares and got out their notebooks.

"Now, class, today we will be starting off with history," announced Wrinkly.

As in the case of any school day, it was to become another marathon of Diddy being Wrinkly's delightful know-it-all, and, needless to say, all fifteen of Diddy's classmates couldn't even bear to hear a single sound come from the monkey's mouth. They all wanted to walk up to that desk and smash Diddy's head to pieces, but it would be impossible with Wrinkly keeping a sharp eye on her great grandson … and brightest student.

Eventually, after 3 ½ hours of learning quite a lot about Kongo Bongo history, including many things about the island's mysterious temples and legends, which Diddy was very interested in, the clock struck noon, and the lunchtime bell rang.

"Alright, class! Time to break for lunch, and don't forget that we will be having a test on this history subject next week!" announced Wrinkly as her students put their notebooks away.

The class headed out the door and escaped to the open front area of the school grounds, with the exception of Diddy, who preferred to wait a few minutes before leaving. He SO did not want to get bullied again. Oh, no!

"Hey, Wrinkly?" Diddy said as he put his history notebook in his backpack.

"Yes, Diddy?" replied Wrinkly with a warm grin on her face, showing that she deeply cared for Diddy, "Is there something you want to talk to me about, dear?"

"Well, … (sigh) … it's hard to say," answered Diddy as he sat down at his desk again.

Wrinkly kindly took a seat at the empty desk next to Diddy and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Did you say that you had met a girl who wanted to come to Kong Kollege?" asked Diddy.

"In fact, I did," replied Wrinkly.

"Does she have a pink beret and beautiful golden hair?" continued Diddy.

Wrinkly was amazed to hear this. This could only mean that Diddy had actually met this "beautiful girl".

"You've met her?" said Wrinkly.

Diddy's eyes grew wide as he heard those words. He had no idea that Wrinkly had already known Dixie.

"You know her, too!?" Diddy said in an almost excited tone.

"Oh, yes. Dixie came to me one day with her big cousin and confessed that she would like to attend this school," said Wrinkly with a warm smile.

"I heard. We met on the beach last night after DK and I decided to spend the day with some fun to bring some happiness to me, and she mentioned that she wanted to come to school here," said Diddy, "However, I feel worried about something."

"I understand what you mean by that," said Wrinkly as she listened to Diddy's last sentence, "You think that she might … -"

"Get bullied!? Yes, I'm worried for her!" finished Diddy, "Not only that, … but … (gulp) … I think I'm developing very strong feelings for her."

Wrinkly was astounded to hear this. It sounded as if Diddy was … "falling in love" … with a girl.

The elder Kong brought her lips to Diddy's ear to make the conversation more private.

"Do you mean to tell me that you might be … in love … with this girl?"

Diddy's eyes were wider than ever. He didn't know how to answer this question. How could he just spill this out in front of his schoolteacher!?

Then again, this schoolteacher was her great grandmother. Therefore, it meant that she was family to Diddy, so she could even handle personal things with him, just like DK could.

"Yes," the little monkey finally answered in a whisper after what seemed like ages of silence, "I … (gulp) … I'm in love with Dixie."

Wrinkly gently hugged a nervous Diddy and patted the back of her head in almost the same way DK would.

"That sounds wonderful, Diddy. You finally have a friend that's the same age as you. Remember what I told you one day while you were still in kindergarten and paid a family visit to me?"

Diddy took some time thinking about this memory, then it gradually came back to him …

"You'll be the happiest monkey ever if you find a friend your age," said Diddy.

Wrinkly smiled brightly at her great grandson, and the two Kongs embraced in what would be their first family hug in at least a few years. Diddy happily wrapped his arms around Wrinkly's neck as his great grandmother hugged him just like a monkey's granny would.

"I want to personally wish you very good luck with you and your new friend. Who knows? Maybe one day, you two will have a great future, … and don't you worry. When she starts here, I'll keep an eye on both of you, while you keep an eye out for each other, okay?" offered Wrinkly.

Diddy smiled at Wrinkly and nuzzled her lips briefly.

"Thank you so much, Wrinkly. I don't know where I'd be without you … or DK. You both make a great family for me," said Diddy with happy tears.

Wrinkly gently brushed the tears off Diddy's face and replied …

"You're very welcome, my dear."

Eventually, the two Kongs broke their hug so that Diddy could gather his belongings and head outside to eat his lunch.

"I'll be right there to keep an eye out so that nobody picks on you," said Wrinkly.

"Okay, uh, great granny," replied Diddy.

Wrinkly exchanged a half grin with Diddy, who quickly regretted using that name.

"I'm sorry. I just thought I'd use a family name for once, since nobody else is around," excused Diddy.

"It's okay, dear. I don't mind too much, but just keep that to a minimum," replied Wrinkly kindly.

"Okay, Wrinkly," answered Diddy.

The two Kongs smiled at each other one more time before Diddy finally left the schoolroom and walked over to his private lunch area where no one could see him. He looked up at the skies and noticed that some clouds were slowly building up. He hoped that it wouldn't start raining within the next few minutes.

While Diddy pulled out yet another delicious banana sandwich from his bag, unbeknownst to him, several other students were saying even more rotten things about him …

At the table that was closest to the school porch, four students whom had eavesdropped on the conversation between Diddy and Wrinkly were once again onto teasing the poor monkey.

"Did you hear what came out of Diddy's mouth in there?" asked an orangutan.

"Diddy's in love with a girl!" whispered a mean-looking gorilla.

"Why would anyone fall in love with Diddy?" asked a Kremling, "He looks nothing like a monkey to be loved. Just look at him!"

Diddy did not notice those four classmates all glaring angrily at him. He was too busy eating his sandwich to take any notice that he was once again being criticized.

"One of these days, we'll give that monkey just what he deserves … right in front of whatever girl he's fallen in love with, and we'll make him wish he were dead," added the Kremling.

"I would agree," said Fomali, who was just popping in from another table, "I heard every word from this table. Diddy Kong in love? What a ridiculous thought!"

"But it's true," said the first orangutan, "We heard him say it."

"We listened to some private conversation he had with Wrinkly, and he mentioned that he was in love with a girl," added the gorilla.

Fomali stared at Diddy, who was still eating his sandwich. He could not believe at all that this monkey was suddenly in love with a girl.

"Well, … just you wait, Diddy. One day soon, you'll be meeting a very sticky end," said Fomali, "Your rumored girl will be committing suicide out of misery soon after."

Just then, Wrinkly came out through the schoolhouse door, and the students all stopped looking at Diddy and went back to eating their lunches.

With Wrinkly being Diddy's bodyguard, no more further insults were spoken about Diddy for the remainder of the lunch period.

Then, the clock struck one, and the bell rang to signal the end of lunch and the beginning of the afternoon class lesson.

"Now class, this afternoon we will be going over the experiment we did Monday on orange juice and coconut milk," said Wrinkly as the afternoon science class began.

Once again, to the dismay of every student in the room, except for one in particular, Diddy was the bright mind of Wrinkly's science lecture. After all, he had done such a good job with his experiment two days ago, so there was no doubt that he would be the one to brighten up today's lecture.

For Diddy's classmates, however, it darkened their lecture, just because of the fact that it was Diddy who was Wrinkly's loyal assistant and not somebody else. They always resented the fact that he was even in this school, even though Kong Kollege was the only school on Kongo Bongo.

After Diddy's successful experiment comparisons with Wrinkly, the fifteen other students all fell asleep, tired from listening to Diddy's voice.

"Wake up at once! ALL OF YOU!" yelled Wrinkly angrily as she looked at fifteen students, all sleeping.

This caught the attention of the entire class, and everyone was instantly awakened by Wrinkly's sudden scream. They all sat up neatly in their chairs and looked into Wrinkly's eyes out of fear that punishment was possible.

"You and your disrespect for Diddy has been going on for way too long now!" said Wrinkly, "In all my years of teaching, I've never been so disappointed in just about an entire class just because I have a bright student who nobody else likes. This is not how we set the standards of respect in a school setting!"

The class simply stayed still. They didn't know what would happen next, whether they would continue the lesson or be punished.

"In fact, you know what, I think all fifteen of you deserve a full month's worth of detention, and I'll be signing you all up for an anti-bullying group!" continued Wrinkly, "This shall finally teach you to not pester this smart monkey! I am extremely disappointed in all of you for continuously disrespecting Diddy, disrespecting me and not paying attention to the details you need to know for your tests! One day, you'll wake up and feel ready for a test, when in fact you know almost nothing, and I'll have a huge group of students who will have failed their exams. This will put a giant strain on my teaching abilities, and you will all have to repeat a year of school, all because you can't get along with this bright little guy! You should all be ashamed of yourselves!"

The class sunk their heads and did nothing more than look guilty, although both Diddy and Wrinkly could tell that they were not feeling guilty at all. They only wanted to pick on Diddy some more.

Then, the 2:30 bell rang, denoting the end of the school day.

However …

"Not so fast, class!" shouted Wrinkly, catching everyone's attention before a single person could leave.

The elder Kong immediately turned to Diddy and gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder.

"It's okay, Diddy. You're free to go. Have a nice evening," said Wrinkly gently to her great grandson.

Diddy grinned cutely at his great grandmother and shook her hand.

"Thanks, Wrinkly. I'll see you tomorrow," said Diddy happily as he put his books and supplies in his backpack.

The little monkey zipped his backpack shut, slipped the backpack's straps over his shoulders and finally left the schoolhouse.

Diddy's classmates, however, all remained in their seats.

"I shall be keeping you after school for the next two hours, class. You and your bullying shall cease now! I'm hereby sentencing you to an afternoon of paper writing about why you should not bully your classmates, and I hope you will finally learn a valuable lesson!" announced a disgusted Wrinkly to her evil students.

Just as Wrinkly turned to her desk to pick up a huge stack of papers, Fomali suddenly jolted out of his chair and blasted right through the schoolhouse door.

Wrinkly quickly turned around after hearing sounds coming from the door.

"What was that!?" she shouted.

Then, she noticed that Fomali's chair was empty.

"FOMALI! GET BACK HERE!" the elder Kong screamed as loud as she could.

But it was too late …

Diddy was walking alone in the middle of the jungle on his way home under a sky that was now filled with very dark clouds. He couldn't wait to see DK so that he could have fun and cuddle with his uncle.

But then, …

"YOU STUPID FREAK!" yelled a voice from behind him.

Diddy was instantly shocked at this. He immediately knew who that voice belonged to.

The monkey turned around, and, sure enough, Fomali was charging towards him at full speed. His muscular body was preparing to strike down this poor monkey once and for all.

"YOU'VE REALLY DONE THE DAMAGE NOW, AND NOW YOU'LL PAY BIG TIME!" screamed Fomali as he just about approached Diddy.

Timing his judgment correctly, the monkey sprung his legs upward and jumped as high as he could. He performed a midair acrobatic flip while at it, and Fomali ran right below him, missing his target by a mile.

The orangutan slowly skidded to a stop and turned around, but Diddy was already running away.

However, instead of normally letting him run off, Fomali chased after Diddy through the jungle. He desperately wanted to put an end to this monkey. He wanted nothing more than to kill him on the spot. He ran almost as fast as Diddy could run, and he was somehow keeping up with his rival.

At that very moment, lightning struck near the jungle, followed by a loud rumble of thunder. Seconds later, it started pouring rain. Poor Diddy was quickly being drenched as he continued running from Fomali. His astraphobia was also kicking in as his fear of thunderstorms nearly forced him to stop running and look somewhere to hide.

This was the first time Diddy had been in a thunderstorm since the night he failed to guard DK's banana hoard.

Fomali was gaining on Diddy as the thunderstorm quickly intensified. He knew about Diddy's astraphobia, and he would delight in taking advantage of him being terrified of this weather in the middle of the jungle.

Diddy was beginning to run out of breath as he ran on all fours from his mortal enemy. Sweat poured down his face, and tears of fear streamed from his eyes as he tried his best to keep ahead of Fomali while staying away from any possible lightning that could instantly electrocute him. He feared that if anything stopped him now, he would be a dead monkey in just two minutes.

The clouds quickly grew darker, and the jungle suddenly looked as if it was nighttime, although it was only 2:35 PM in mid-afternoon. It was as if the clouds were completely blocking the sun by forming a thunderstorm eclipse by turning the skies completely black.

"SOMEBODY, PLEASE HELP ME!" Diddy panted under his breath.

Plants and leaves occasionally blinded Diddy's path as he tried to avoid stumbling on loose branches and torn vines. This was just enough to enable Fomali to get within ten yards of bringing him down for good.

The poor little simian had just about gotten to the point where he could run no longer, and lightning struck just a few hundred yards away from him. That, along with the accompanying sound of electricity and following quake of thunder, was just enough to jolt Diddy's energy back up just before Fomali could grab him.

Diddy had escaped murder again, but Fomali was still right behind him.

Nevertheless, being in the middle of a deadly thunderstorm while running from somebody who wanted to kill him felt like Diddy's worst living nightmare. He was sure this would be the end. DK was nowhere in sight, and he felt like he was miles away from home. All of this running may have gotten him lost in the middle of nowhere, or somewhere he had never been to before. Above all, he was scared to death.

"COME HERE, YOU HORRIBLY DUMB FREAK!" yelled Fomali as he kept in pursuit of Diddy.

Finally, Diddy tripped over a branch and fell over, splattering his face against the ground. He turned and lied down on his back, and a horrifying sight awaited him …

Lightning was striking continuously just yards away from him, while Fomali slowly approached him and pulled his knife out, ready for the kill.

All of these things, when combined, instantly created the worst and most disturbing sight Diddy had ever seen in his life.

"This is it, Diddy Kong! It's all over! This is how your life story ends!" shouted Fomali, "I've been waiting so long for this moment, and I intend to enjoy every second of it as I look into your eyes when you die!"

Diddy's eyes were as wide as they ever had been. Tears were pouring down his face like a giant waterfall. His nightmare was becoming a reality. He was going to be murdered in a thunderstorm; something he managed to escape that one night when cornered by K. Rool's Kremlings, but not today.

"Prepare to die in humiliation, Diddy Kong!" finished Fomali as he bent his arm back to charge it up for the final blow.

The poor monkey cleared his throat and let out one last scream, thinking it would be the last time anyone would hear his voice.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the poor monkey screamed as loud as he ever had done in his life.

Diddy shut his eyes and curled himself into a ball as he awaited the moment that Fomali would give him the stab that would end his life.

This was it. Diddy Kong was dead. This was to be the moment his life would end.

Then …

The next thing Diddy saw would be the last thing he expected to see …

Another monkey came swinging down on a vine and kicked Fomali right in the head. The orangutan's knife flew out of his hand and landed right next to Diddy.

Diddy looked to his right and watched as this mysterious monkey tossed Fomali towards a large tree. The orangutan smashed his back against the tree and fell to the ground flat on his stomach as the monkey swung back and came down in front of him.

Then, the monkey kicked Fomali in the face and just about bruised his nose.

"AAARRRGGGHHH!" screamed Fomali in pain as the monkey began to beat him down.

Diddy watched with interest as this strange figure took down his school enemy. He was somewhat delighted about seeing someone take down Fomali in a fight.

Then, Diddy's eyes grew wide when he noticed the monkey's golden hair swinging like a propeller, slashing against Fomali's head.

It was at that moment that Diddy realized who it was …

"Dixie!?" the simian shouted as the monkey finished off Fomali with a kick in the forehead.

The orangutan's face fell to the ground and sunk into a pool of mud as he instantly lost consciousness.

Dixie shot one last nasty glare at Fomali's unconscious, mud-covered body before turning to a terrified Diddy.

At that instant, one look at this frightened monkey just about broke Dixie's heart. She felt so sad to see her new friend so scared and alone in the middle of a storm.

Without thinking twice, Dixie walked over to Diddy and crouched down in front of him.

"Are you okay?" she gently asked him in her sweet voice.

Diddy was still crying in fear; not from his fear of Fomali, but from his fear of thunderstorms.

"I just had to run for my life from my mortal enemy from school … in the middle of the first storm I've been drenched in since the night I failed to guard my uncle's banana hoard!" cried Diddy, "No one could imagine how terribly frightened I am of storms other than DK!"

"Aw, Diddy. Let me help you," offered Dixie, "You look like you could use some company … and some place to keep you dry."

"Thanks, Dixie, … but I gotta go home now. DK's probably worried sick about me, but I feel lost in the middle of nowhere after that chase," replied Diddy.

Dixie felt so sad for Diddy after hearing those words that she almost cried for him. However, she knew better than to cry at a time like this.

"Why don't you come with me to my house? I know how close it is from here, and I still don't know where your house is yet," said Dixie.

"Are you really sure, Dixie?" asked Diddy worryingly, "I can barely see anything in this darkness."

"I'm sure, Diddy. I'm learning my way around pretty fast, … and besides, you won't be alone," answered Dixie, "I'll keep you plenty of warm company."

Diddy looked into Dixie's eyes, and he instantly fell into that trance of love again. He could never resist the sight of Dixie's beautiful eyes, golden hair or pink clothes, nor could he resist the sound of her adorable voice.

Dixie, likewise, adored how cute Diddy looked in general. She thought it was so adorable that Diddy had such wonderful eyes for someone like him, and he thought it was cute that his tank top only went down to his waist and left his belly button exposed.

They thought each others' smiles looked beautiful, too! It made this moment feel so complete, even if they were in a storm.

All of a sudden, Diddy could feel Dixie's arms pulling him up to his feet. He could instantly feel a sense of relaxation just from being with this sweet girl.

"Shall we, Diddy?" asked Dixie with a smile.

"Lead the way, Dixie," answered Diddy with a return smile.

Suddenly, Dixie stood behind Diddy and lifted him by the armpits. Before he knew it, Diddy was now sitting on Dixie's shoulders!

"Hey! What are ya doing!?" shouted Diddy, feeling slightly uncomfortable, "I only prefer to do this with DK!"

"Your legs look a little tired, so I thought I'd give ya a rest while I take you there," replied Dixie.

Diddy gently rested his hands on Dixie's pink beret, while Dixie held Diddy's legs tightly with her hands to keep him from falling off.

For Diddy, riding piggyback on someone other than DK felt like an entirely new experience for him. This was well beyond anything a friend had ever given him in his life. He suddenly felt rather relaxed to have his new friend taking care of him as if she was his sister or a very close relative. He felt like she was treating him like family.

Despite the darkness and enraging thunderstorm which still scared Diddy, Dixie was able to push bravely on through the jungle, … until she found the sight of a fancy-looking house.

Diddy took one look at this tree house and gasped with wonder. His eyes grew wide as he saw how gorgeous the outside of this house looked, regardless of the weather. He was sure that whatever was inside would be ever-so-beautiful, especially compared to his own house that he shared with his uncle!

"This is it, Diddy," said Dixie as she lifted Diddy off her shoulders and placed him back on his feet.

"This is such a lovely house," said Diddy as she turned back to Dixie and smiled at her.

"Thanks, Diddy. I'm sure you'll find what's inside an even better treat for you," replied Dixie, "Ready to head on up?"

Diddy gulped once in nervousness as he thought of the idea of spending some afternoon time at Dixie's house. He was worried about how her cousins would take it, even though they were already getting to know him.

"Okay, … I … I'm ready," the simian finally answered nervously.

Dixie patted Diddy's back and smiled at him.

"After you," she said sweetly.

Diddy could never refuse such an offer like that! He absolutely loved Dixie's sweet voice!

Without a second thought, Diddy sprung to the ladder and climbed up to the porch, with Dixie following right behind him.

Then, Dixie walked up to the door and slowly opened it. Finally, she walked in through the door, followed by a nervous Diddy.

As Dixie closed the door, Diddy looked around the living room and was astounded by what he saw.

Everything in this house looked so carefully organized, and many things in the living room was so undeniably beautiful, especially the line of flowers that sat in the windowsills.

Chunky then walked into the room from the kitchen, and he noticed Dixie.

"Hello, Dixie," the big gorilla greeted her cousin.

"Hi, Chunky," replied Dixie, "We've got some company for this afternoon."

Chunky turned to Diddy and noticed how nervous he looked … and how wet he was.

"Aw, the poor little guy. Is there anything we can do for you?" offered Chunky.

"Maybe a nice drink will do, … and a towel," answered Diddy.

"I'll get one right away," replied Chunky, "Why don't you sit down and make yourself comfortable for a while?"

"Okay, Chunky," said Diddy.

Dixie grabbed a green towel and wrapped it around Diddy so he could dry off.

"Would you like to relax in my room?" asked Dixie, "You'll like it up there."

For Diddy, this sounded like a beautiful thought. No one outside his family had ever been this nice to him before in his life. He felt that this was the start of something new for him.

"Come on up," said Dixie kindly as she wrapped an arm around Diddy and led him up a flight of stairs which led directly to her room.

"This is the only upstairs space in the whole house?" said Diddy curiously as he noticed that there appeared to be only one upstairs room in the entire house.

"I've got this whole space all to myself. Check it out," said Dixie.

Diddy brought his drying bare feet to the top of the last step, and he gasped in surprise as he gazed around Dixie's bedroom …

The walls were pink all around, there were beautiful flowers on the windows, the dressers were painted pink and gold, and there was a large mirror on top of the dresser. There was also a tall mirror by the door which stood up from the floor to the ceiling. At the opposite side of the room, there was a small TV set with a VC player and a cable box. However, much to Diddy's shock, there was no sign of an SNES.

"No SNES?" asked Diddy.

"Sadly, no, … but I plan to get one someday," replied Dixie.

"You should. DK and I have lots of fun on our SNES!" chuckled Diddy.

Diddy looked over to their right and found Dixie's bed.

Her blankets were in a lovely shade of pink, and the pillows were as yellow as bananas!

"I've been in a girl's bedroom before, and this is … just … so … BEAUTIFUL!" shouted Diddy happily.

This earned a cute chuckle from Dixie, and she quickly hugged Diddy from behind and tickled his armpits.

Diddy was instantly thrown into a fit of laughter as the ticklish sensations jolted him.

"EEK! NAAAHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHOOOO!" laughed Diddy as Dixie pulled him onto her bed with her, "EEKEEHEEHEEHEHEHEHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"You must be really ticklish," said Dixie as she adored Diddy's cute laughs, "It's no wonder you and your uncle have so many great times together!"

"We sure do!" replied Diddy.

"Well, maybe it's my turn to have such a lovely time with you!" chuckled Dixie.

"Aww, Dixie! You're such a kind girl!" said Diddy.

Dixie took Diddy's backpack and removed the straps from his shoulders before setting it down on the floor next to the bed. Then, she crawled up to Diddy and knelt right in front of him in between his legs. Diddy cutely rested his hands on the soft blankets as Dixie held them tightly in an adorable embrace.

The two young simians smiled brightly at each other as they enjoyed simply being together in the same way that Diddy would when he was with DK. They gradually brought their faces right up to each other, almost touching each others' lips.

"I feel so happy to finally have someone to be with when I'm not home," said Diddy gently, "No one has ever been this nice to me before, except for DK."

"I feel so happy that you have a new companion," replied Dixie, "You sure looked like you needed one when we met yesterday."

"You know, Dixie, … I think of you as a new chapter in my life. Until we met, I thought I would never be able to find any new friends. For almost thirteen years, there's been an empty place in my heart that has been so hard to fill, … but now … I think … (gulp) … I think that … -"

Dixie brought a finger to Diddy's lips and gently rubbed against them to shush him. Then, she smiled at him.

"I've had similar experiences, too, … although it hasn't been about finding new friends. It's been about family," said Dixie.

"Really?" said Diddy in curiosity.

"When I was a little girl …" Dixie began, "… my parents and I were on this wild jungle adventure. It was just the three of us, having a great time together. We would stop at just about every place of interest, just like a couple of explorers trying to discover new worlds. I was the happiest I had been in my life, … until … -"

Dixie paused and looked down.

"What happened?" asked Diddy with a worried look on his face.

Dixie looked at Diddy again and continued her story …

"One morning, I woke up to find that my parents were missing. Their sleeping bags still had their belongings next to them, so I was under the impression that they were captured in their sleep."

Diddy gasped in shock.

"I spent all day after that, searching everywhere on that island, but I never saw my parents again," finished Dixie as she leaked a few tears from her eyes.

Diddy was quickly reminded of a similar experience he once had, himself.

"Dixie, … I'm suddenly reminded of … (gulp) …-"

"Did you have a similar experience?" asked Dixie.

"I … (sniffle) … I lost my parents when I was just an infant. I can't … (sniffle) … I can't remember much about what happened to my parents, … (sniffle) … because I was too young to remember them," said Diddy sadly, "The only thing I can remember is that it happened when I was about two years old. My guess is that they had probably been captured by Kremlings and were … maybe even …-"

Diddy couldn't finish this sentence. He hated just thinking about the horrible fate his parents must have suffered from.

"Whatever happened, … I was left alone for quite a while, … until my uncle DK found me one day and realized that I was all alone with no one to take care of me, … so he took me in to live with him, and I've lived with him ever since. We quickly grew attached to each other and developed a very loving family bond, and ever since then we've loved each other as a family … like brothers or something. He's taught me everything I've ever known in life," finished Diddy.

"I think DK does a wonderful job at taking care of you," said Dixie, "You're very lucky to have such a loving uncle."

"I feel so lucky to have one, too," said Diddy, "I've had a special place in my heart for DK, but, like I said, there's that empty place that has been left empty all this time, … because I spent my childhood as a typically shy monkey. I made very few friends, hardly any at all on Kongo Bongo."

"Aww, you poor guy," said Dixie, feeling so sorry for Diddy, "Now I know you need a very special someone to have a very special place in your life."

Before Diddy could process the next thought, he suddenly felt something puckering his lips and just about knocking him onto his back with his head against Dixie's pillow. He looked at Dixie and realized that …

… she was kissing him!

Diddy didn't know what to make of this. He knew virtually nothing about romance, yet here he was, being kissed by a girl for the first time in his life! He wished that she hadn't fallen for him because of these stories about sad experiences, but on the other side, he was happy that he had found someone who seemed to show romantic love for him. He felt his cheeks blushing deep red as Dixie kissed him lovingly and cuddled him into a tight hug.

Dixie soon stopped kissing Diddy and looked into his adorable eyes. She just loved the way his face looked. It was the most handsome face she had ever laid her eyes upon.

Suddenly, Diddy pulled Dixie into a hug and kissed her lips. To him, Dixie's lips felt like a treat. This was an experience that was way beyond what Diddy had ever experienced in his life.

Dixie felt love sinking into her heart as Diddy kissed her. She had never been so loved by someone her age before. This even felt new to her, too. She enjoyed the idea of someone loving her just as much as her parents did.

The two young monkeys then started kissing each other at the same time while hugging each other on the bed. They gave each other big smooches from time to time as they fell into a romantic trance of love towards each other.

No romantic moment for their lives on Kongo Bongo had felt as perfect as this one.

* * *

_**It could happen. Any time now, they'll be considering each other as boyfriend and girlfriend! Just one day is all it takes for these two monkeys to fall in love with each other, and now this could be the beginning of something new for Diddy's life … and Dixie's!**_

_**Chapter ten coming soon!**_


	10. A Thankful Heart

_**Hello, everyone! I'm finally back with chapter ten of this emotional story!**_

_**ENJOY!**_

* * *

DK was in the middle of the Kongo Jungle. He searched just about every tree for Diddy. The storm had only just left the island to allow some brightness to come down onto the trees, and from that moment on DK had left his house to find his nephew. He was worried sick about him. He feared that the storm may have gotten him helplessly lost in the middle of the jungle while on his way home from school, or maybe those bullies got hold of him and threw him in the middle of a stormy jungle … to a place he was unfamiliar with.

Anyhow, DK was worried about Diddy so much that he felt he could do just about anything to find him, even if it meant torturing those bullies to near-death.

The ape looked behind another tree, but there was no sign of Diddy anywhere in the area he was in.

"I wish I knew where he was. I feel like there's something missing in my life whenever he's missing," said DK sadly to himself, "I only just went through that pain a few weeks ago when he couldn't guard our banana hoard, and now I have to deal with it again. He's probably waiting for me to find him, too. I can't even think about how scared he might be while in the middle of a jungle without me being there to guide him."

DK almost began to cry as he thought about Diddy. He knew that his nephew couldn't last up to seven hours without missing him. DK was more than just family to Diddy. He was everything to him.

The ape sat down to rest his legs, then he looked up and found a gorgeous sight before his very eyes …

On one of the trees that lay before him was a beautiful tree house, highlighted by colorful flowers in the windows and a fancy octagon window on the second floor.

DK was astounded by the sight of this tree house. He could only agree that it was more worthy of staring at than his own house. From top to bottom, it was flat-out beautiful!

With curiosity getting the best of him, DK stood up and slowly walked up to the ladder, then he carefully climbed up and reached the porch.

As the ape slowly walked across the porch, he took some time looking through the flower-filled windows to see if this was the home of anyone he was familiar with. Surely, somebody he knew must be so lucky to have a house like this.

Finally, DK let his courage sink in, and he approached the door and knocked on it.

"One second! I'll be right there!" came a voice behind the door.

This voice sounded somewhat familiar to DK. He could recall hearing that voice on the beach yesterday. He pondered his thoughts as he tried to remember who's voice it was.

That question was answered by a twist of the doorknob and the opening of the door.

DK looked into the doorway and noticed Chunky standing there.

"Ah, DK," greeted Chunky with a gentle smile, "What brings you here on this rather gloomy afternoon we've been having here?"

DK grinned back at Chunky before replying …

"Hi, Chunky. This may sound crazy, but I was wondering if you've seen my nephew Diddy around. He got lost in the storm and I haven't seen him since the moment he left for school this morning."

"Oh, yes!" said Chunky as thoughts flowed around his head, "That poor, cute little guy. Dixie found him in the middle of the jungle and brought him here for some shelter from the storm."

DK felt his heart pounding with relief that someone knew where Diddy was. He could feel all that weight being thrown off his shoulders as he heard those warm words.

"Come on in. I've just made a pitcher full of banana juice," offered Chunky.

DK grinned as he found Chunky's offer unable to be refused.

The ape walked through the doorway, and Chunky closed the door behind him.

"Feel free to make yourself comfortable for a little while," said Chunky as he offered DK some space on a soft reclining chair.

DK sat down on the recliner and leaned back in relaxation. His legs instantly felt so much better than they did only a second earlier from all that sprinting through the jungle.

Chunky then walked into the kitchen, allowing DK to have a minute to himself as he anticipated that any time soon he would get to see his nephew again. As much as he felt that Diddy missed his uncle so much, DK missed his nephew and desperately wanted to see him again.

A moment later, Chunky returned with a glass of banana juice, and he handed the glass cup to DK. The gorilla took the glass and took a sip of the delicious banana juice. His tongue was soothed almost instantly with that pleasant taste of bananas that he loved so much!

Chunky sat on another soft chair and settled into relaxation.

"So, … where is Diddy, anyway?" asked DK.

"Diddy is upstairs with Dixie, although I might recommend waiting for a little bit. I took a peek up there a few minutes ago, and it looked as if they're having a … romantic … time together," answered Chunky.

DK chuckled as he heard the word "romantic". He felt happy that Diddy had seemingly found himself a love interest in Dixie. He remembered Diddy mentioning that he had dreams about Dixie, and now he knew what those dreams were about …

Love and romance.

_Meanwhile, … speaking of love and romance …_

Diddy and Dixie were still cuddling and smooching with each other lovingly on Dixie's bed. They felt that nothing could end their beautiful trance of romance. As much as Diddy missed DK, he was beginning to love this girl so much that he began to think of him as his girlfriend, even though they had only known each other for one day. Diddy felt that one day couldn't be enough time to find a girl for his life.

Dixie couldn't stop looking into Diddy's adorableness. He had adorableness all over him; his eyes, his face, his clothes and simply the way he looked were all ingredients for a lovable monkey as far as she was concerned. She wished they could be together forever, and she imagined that Diddy was feeling the same way.

"Oh, Dixie," whispered Diddy, "You're such a beautiful girl. I feel like I could cuddle you forever."

"Aw, Diddy," replied Dixie, "I feel like I could kiss you forever."

With that, Dixie planted even more kisses on Diddy's face, which had been blushing since they started cuddling each other.

Diddy smiled at Dixie and returned the kisses on her face, earning an adorable smile from Dixie.

It was such a perfect moment: two young little monkeys making love with each other felt like one of the cutest moments ever on Kongo Bongo!

Then …

A knock came on Dixie's bedroom door. In an instant, both monkeys felt rather dismayed about their embrace being ruined.

"Dixie? Diddy?" came Chunky's voice behind the door.

"Yes, Chunky?" Diddy and Dixie replied together.

"Would you like to come down for a bit? I've made some banana juice," offered Chunky, "Oh, and Diddy, we've got someone down here waiting to see you!"

Diddy let out a slight grin as he heard those words. He sensed it could be his uncle DK, having come all the way across the jungle to find this marvelous house.

Dixie returned the grin, and the two young monkeys sat up and scooted off Dixie's bed before heading out the bedroom door, holding hands with each other. They still felt like they didn't want to let go of each other after such a romantic time on a beautiful bed.

The duo walked down the steps to the living room, … and another pleasant surprise awaited them …

Diddy looked around the living room until he found the one person he had loved as family all his life …

"DK!?" shouted Diddy as he spotted his uncle sitting on a relaxing chair.

"Hi, little Diddy-buddy!" replied DK with a warm smile.

Diddy let a few happy tears from his eyes as Dixie hugged him one more time. Then, she gave him a gentle push as he ran towards his uncle. The little simian jumped right into DK's lap and wrapped his arms around his neck in a cuddly family embrace. He wanted nothing more than a moment like this after getting lost in the middle of a thunderstorm.

DK wrapped his arms tightly around Diddy's back to keep him warm, and he let some tears out of his own eyes. He was so overjoyed to see Diddy again. He was worrying that he would be lost forever in the jungle, yet here he was, safe and sound in his uncle's comfort again.

"I missed you so much, DK!" cried Diddy as he started sobbing onto his uncle's cheek.

"Aww, Diddy, I missed you so much, too," replied DK gently as he rubbed the back of Diddy's head.

Dixie and Chunky smiled at the adorable sight of DK and Diddy cuddling together like a father and his baby. They could clearly see that these two had a very strong family relationship. Dixie even let a few tears leak from her eyes as she found this moment to be so heartwarming.

"I'll be right back. I'm gonna get the two of you some banana juice," said Chunky, and he left for the kitchen again.

"How did you get lost in the middle of the jungle, little buddy?" DK asked Diddy.

"Fomali chased me into the jungle after I was let out by Wrinkly at the end of the afternoon class," Diddy began with tears still pouring from his eyes, "Then, the storm came, and I found myself running aimlessly around the jungle. I didn't know where I was, but I only wanted to get away from Fomali. Finally, he cornered me and tried to stab me with his knife again!"

"Aww, dear," said DK sadly, "He tried to kill you again?"

"Yes!" cried Diddy, "Right in the middle of a dark storm!"

"Aw, no. My poor little nephew," replied DK as he tightened his hug on Diddy, "I can't even imagine how frightening that must have been."

"It was only then that Dixie swung down and saved me," said Diddy.

The two looked at Dixie and faintly grinned at her. The girl returned the grin warmly.

"I was just on my way home, and I noticed Diddy being chased by that orangutan. Then, I saw the knife in his hand. I knew it meant big trouble," explained Dixie, "So, I swung down on a vine and kicked him away from Diddy, and I gave him what he deserved."

"She knocked him out big-time," finished Diddy.

"Wow. What a hero you are for my little buddy," commented DK, "Thanks so much, Dixie, … for keeping my little monkey safe."

"You're welcome, DK," answered Dixie.

Chunky then returned with two cups of banana juice for Diddy and Dixie. The younger monkeys each took one cup and sipped their juice. They each let out a sigh of enjoyment towards that delicious juice. It was even enough to help Diddy stop crying.

"You really make such wonderful banana juice," commented Diddy.

"Thanks, Diddy," said Chunky, "Our family's been known on other islands to make such wonderful banana juice."

"It's no surprise. Your juice is so delicious!" chuckled Diddy.

"It sure is!" agreed DK.

"You should get Lanky to promote your juice so that everyone on Kongo Bongo can enjoy it!" suggested Diddy, "He runs his own restaurant not far from where Funky's place is."

"Maybe we should!" agreed Dixie.

"So, have you been having a good time here, Diddy?" asked DK.

"It's been great!" answered Diddy.

Dixie nodded her head in agreement.

"I'm happy to hear that," replied DK, "However, I think it's time we head home. It is getting late after all."

"I know, DK, … plus I feel homesick," agreed Diddy.

"I'll go get your backpack," said Dixie, and she rushed back upstairs to her bedroom.

DK and Diddy exchanged more gentle smiles with each other as they resumed their family cuddle. DK even went as far as to plant a family kiss on Diddy's cheek, making him giggle in family love and ticklishness.

"Eekeeheeheeheeheehee!" giggled Diddy happily.

"I love you so much, little Diddy-buddy," whispered DK in Diddy's ear.

"I love you so much, too, big Donkey-buddy," replied Diddy in a whisper.

A moment later, Diddy felt a surprise kiss planted on his other cheek. He turned to his right and noticed Dixie kissing him lovingly with Diddy's backpack in her hands.

"I think you're the cutest and sweetest monkey I've ever known in my life!" said Dixie happily as Diddy took his backpack.

Diddy blushed deep red as he felt even more love sinking into his heart. It was such a perfect moment for him. If family love and romantic love could mix in and create this heartwarming moment, then Diddy could only say that this was the greatest moment of his life! He had found himself a girl, and his deeply-caring uncle was there to see it!

The simian put his backpack on and pulled Dixie up onto DK's lap for a romantic hug. DK then joined in by hugging both of the little monkeys.

Diddy and Dixie then exchanged one more kiss on each others' lips before Dixie slid off DK's lap, and the gorilla lifted his nephew onto his shoulders.

"See you around, Diddy!" said Dixie.

"See ya soon, Dixie!" replied Diddy.

The two young monkeys smiled at each other again as DK turned to the door.

"Thanks again for taking care of my nephew," said DK.

"No problem," replied Chunky.

"It was great having him here!" added Dixie.

"Thanks again!" said Diddy.

"You're welcome!" answered Chunky, "Bye!"

"Bye!" said Diddy as DK finally opened the door.

The gorilla walked out with Diddy riding piggyback on his shoulders, then he jumped off the porch and started walking on all fours through the jungle, while Diddy swung his legs off DK's shoulders and rested them on his uncle's back while clinging to his neck.

Now that the two were finally alone together, they could finally engage in family conversation again.

"Diddy, … you'd have no idea how worried I was about you," said DK, "My heart was just racing all afternoon during the storm."

"It was so horrible once I walked out of that schoolhouse, DK," replied Diddy, "Wrinkly had ordered everyone to stay in the classroom except for me, because she had gotten over all that bullying nonsense."

"She's angry at the whole class now?" said a surprised DK.

"She was furious with all of my classmates," added Diddy, "But Fomali was even more furious I'd assume. He chased me through the jungle once I was let free, then came that terrible storm that darkened my vision. The rain was so torrential, and the clouds were so heavy that my vision was blacked out, and I could only see properly when lightning struck. I couldn't keep track of where I was. I thought Fomali would finally kill me once I tripped on a loose branch and stopped against a rocky wall. He pulled his knife out and made another attempt to murder me, but Dixie came in at the last possible moment and dumped his head into a puddle of mud."

"Wow. That must have been so scary," said DK, feeling so shocked by this nightmarish story about Diddy's afternoon after school.

"I told her that I just wanted to go home, but she offered me to stay at her place for a while until the storm settled down. She seems to care so much about me, maybe even as much as you do," explained Diddy, "I … I don't know how to put it, … but … I … I think she loves me."

"Aww. Isn't that nice, little buddy?" said DK in a gentle chuckle, "There's a girl who loves you so much that she's willing to take care of you whenever I'm not around."

"I think I love her, too," added Diddy, "I sense we may call each other boyfriend and girlfriend one day soon."

"That would be great, little buddy! You'll have a new friend to spend time with, to play outside with and to have many great times with! You're such a lucky little monkey!" chuckled DK, earning a playful giggle from Diddy, "I feel so grateful that she and Chunky took such good care of you during the storm. I feel that we should give them something."

"Like what?" asked Diddy.

"It's hard to think about something so pleasant, but we'll think of something," answered DK, "For now, though, we should get home and have a nice family nap like we mentioned this morning."

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot about that!" said Diddy happily.

"Home, here we come!" they shouted together.

DK started running through the jungle while Diddy held on tightly to his neck. Luckily, DK knew his way around the jungle very well, and within the next fifteen minutes, they had found their sweet home tree house!

The gorilla climbed up the ladder and sprinted across the porch. Then, he opened the door and stepped into their ever-so-humble living room before closing the door behind them.

"Home sweet home, little buddy," said DK.

Diddy let out a yawn just as DK looked out a window and finally realized that the sun was beginning to set.

"It may be a little early to go to bed, … but do ya wanna go ahead and settle in on the couch with me?" asked DK.

"I think it's best if we go ahead and simply settle down on the couch for the night," answered Diddy.

The two grinned at each other as they thought about that warm thought, then DK sat down on the couch while Diddy took his backpack off and hopped onto DK's lap.

Diddy looked at the clock and found that it was only 6:00 PM.

"You do know that we haven't had dinner yet," said DK, "Wanna have something to eat first before we go to bed on the couch?" offered DK.

"Sure, DK," replied Diddy, "I think I'll have another banana sandwich, cus' it's all I'm in the mood for right now."

"Okay, little buddy. I'll be right back," said DK, and he got off the couch and headed into the kitchen.

Diddy pulled the couch blanket down from on top of the couch, and he rested his head on a pillow on the armrest while waiting for DK to return. He thought about his romantic time with Dixie and pondered DK's words about how he had found a new friend.

"I'm sure I'm right," the little monkey said to himself, "I think I may have potentially found a girlfriend. Dixie seems to love me with all her heart, just like DK does as an uncle. She may be the perfect girl for me."

DK returned a moment later with a plate in his right hand. On that plate was a banana sandwich for Diddy.

"Here ya go, little buddy. One bedtime banana sandwich for dinner," commented DK.

"Thanks, big buddy," replied Diddy happily as he took the sandwich and placed the plate on his lap, "This should be delicious."

The simian grabbed the sandwich from the plate and took a few small bites. His tongue once again instantly enjoyed that fresh banana taste. No matter how many times a day he ate bananas, the taste was always fresh to him, as if he had never eaten a banana before.

"I love your banana sandwiches so much, DK. They're so enjoyable for my mouth," commented Diddy, "But not as much as I love you, DK! I love you more than anything else in the world!"

"Aww, my sweet little Diddy-buddy. I love you more than anything else, too!" replied DK happily.

The ape watched as his nephew finished eating his sandwich, then the monkey set his plate below the nearby lamp just before DK grabbed him and pulled him right back onto his lap.

"Hehehehehey!" giggled Diddy playfully, "You're so much fun, DK!"

"And you're so much fun to be with, too!" replied DK, "You're such a little cutey monkey!"

With that, DK lied down and rested his head on the pillow, and he started tickling Diddy's feet with one hand while hugging him tightly with the other hand, preventing him from escaping.

"Eek! Eekeeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeeee!" laughed Diddy happily, "Thahahahahat tihihihihicklehehehehes!"

"Because it's time for some bedtime tickles that will help you get to sleep, my little buddy!" chuckled DK playfully.

DK tickled Diddy's heels and toes for several minutes, creating such wild sensations that kept Diddy laughing to his uncle's content. Then, the ape wrapped them both with their couch blanket, pulling the giant cloth all the way up to their necks, before blowing a gentle raspberry kiss on Diddy's face.

"Mmmmmhmhmhmhmhmhmhmhmhmhmhmmm!" giggled Diddy with a muffled voice as his mouth was sealed inside DK's mouth.

The monkey's face vibrated slightly as his uncle kissed him with a loving raspberry kiss.

DK then grabbed a napkin and wiped the saliva off Diddy's face before wrapping both arms around his nephew's back in a tight bear hug that would soothe him to sleep.

Diddy wrapped both arms around DK's neck and rested his head on his uncle's cheek.

"My heart suddenly feels so thankful," whispered Diddy, "For the first time in my life, I actually feel happy."

"I'm so happy to hear that you're finally happy, little buddy," replied DK with a warm smile, "Also, I'm sure it can't be the first time in your life that you've been happy."

"Well, … other than the first two years of my life when my parents were around, … but this is the first time I've _really_ been happy about this first step for a better life for me," explained Diddy, "Of course, I've been so happy to be with you, and I'm so happy that you've been a wonderful uncle for me, but I've never been happy about life outside of home until now. I had very few friends to play with, such as Timber, … but now … I've found a girl."

"See, little Diddy-buddy?" said DK happily, "Just like I told you, … you should never give up hope about your social life, just like you should never give up on your quest for heroism. You're a wonderful nephew, Diddy, … and I'm very happy that I get to teach you how to be a hero. It may make it feel as if we're a teacher and student in heroism, but at heart, … you and I have the best uncle and nephew relationship out of anyone on Kongo Bongo."

"Maybe even the world," added Diddy.

"Possibly," agreed DK, "Above all, little buddy, … I'm very proud of you, little Diddy-buddy … for not giving up hope. I told ya your heart was one strong little thing … patiently waiting for something wonderful to happen, … and it's happened. You may still be waiting for your moment of heroism to come someday, but on the other side you've found a girl, … all because you never gave up hope."

"DK?" said Diddy.

"Yes, my little nephew?" replied DK gently.

"I wanna thank you for all the encouragement you've given me, … and for everything you've taught me about heroism and about being social," said Diddy, "You're more than just a teacher and an uncle to me. You're just like a father to me."

"Aw, Diddy, you're so very welcome, little buddy," said DK happily, "I'm glad I could help you and guide you through your childhood all the way up to this stage in life, and I'm glad to be just like a father to you. You deserve some family kisses for that."

With that, DK blew some more family kisses all over Diddy's face, making the monkey blush as their family love towards each other constantly grew to higher levels beyond what anyone else could imagine.

Diddy returned the kisses all over DK's face, and the two kissed each other on the lips like a father and son before Diddy let out another yawn.

"Ready to get some sleep, my little nephew?" asked DK.

"I'm ready, my big uncle," replied Diddy.

The duo shared some grins and giggles before they finally settled down in their never-ending cuddly hug.

"I love you, Diddy, my sweet, precious, little nephew," whispered DK.

"I love you, too, DK, my sweet, wonderful, big uncle," replied Diddy in a whisper.

"Sweet dreams, little buddy."

"Sweet dreams, big buddy."

"Goodnight, Diddy."

"Goodnight, DK."

At last, the two Kongs closed their eyes and fell asleep together on the couch once again like a father/baby couple. Diddy's mouth was still showing a bright grin as he felt his uncle softly hugging him to sleep under their blanket.

* * *

_**And so, a little monkey who once had a heart with no hope now has a very thankful heart, now that he's found himself a girl with romantic interest in him.**_

_**My next chapter will be the epilogue that will eventually close this fanfic. Look forward to that coming soon!**_

_**Until then, see you later! ;)**_


	11. Epilogue

_**Well, ladies and gentlemen, I hope you've all enjoyed "A Heart with No Hope" with a passion. I spent many weeks jotting some of the chapters down, and it occasionally gave me a hard time. I wanted to make this as heartwarming as possible, and I wanted to make every bonding moment between DK and Diddy as adorable as possible. As far as many are concerned, it paid off big time!**_

_**And now, here's a fancy epilogue to this story before I close the back cover. I hope you all enjoy it!**_

* * *

_**EPILOGUE**_

* * *

Several weeks had gone by since Diddy and Dixie met. The two young monkeys gradually learned so much about each other when they went on dates and island adventures together. Diddy, of course, had to tell DK each time that he wanted to go on an adventure with Dixie, so that his uncle wouldn't get worried again. As an additional plus, Diddy finally started to realize what romance was all about whenever he was with Dixie, and within a week, they started calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend, much to the delight of many of the Kongs who were close to DK and Diddy, such as Candy, Funky and Wrinkly. Heck, even Cranky seemed somewhat impressed when he heard the news from DK!

At Kong Kollege, some of Diddy's classmates finally began to settle down on the bullying. Wrinkly's month-long detention and Cranky's anti-bullying group had done a great job at disciplining some of the students. Needless to say, Fomali was an exception. He still had his thoughts on killing Diddy, but he knew that with Wrinkly and Cranky putting the whole class on probation, he figured that the whole class could be expelled if he did commit the murder he wanted to, so he decided that now was the best time to hesitate. Some students still bullied Diddy in the jungle after school hours, but DK and Dixie were always there to keep him safe. Others simply stopped bullying him, but because the relationship between Diddy and his classmates was quite mutual, they still couldn't become friends with him.

Above all, Diddy was the happiest he had ever been in his life, despite still being bullied by classmates and being a long way from being recognized as a hero like DK. He hadn't felt happier than he had been since the day DK took him in to live with him. Diddy was a monkey with a happy heart!

One Saturday morning, DK and Diddy were relaxing together on their living room sofa. DK had Diddy sitting on his lap, and the ape was adorably hugging and cradling his nephew into a tight family cuddle. They kissed each others' faces from time to time just for big smiles and laughs.

"So, … how's my adorable nephew doing on this beautiful Saturday morning?" asked DK as he took a brief gaze out one of the living room windows, which was showing pure blue, cloudless sky.

"I feel so happy to be with you, and I feel so happy that life is getting better," answered Diddy in a cheerful tone that DK always loved to hear.

"I'm so happy to hear that you're so happy!" chuckled DK.

The gorilla planted a huge kiss on Diddy's lips, making the monkey blush and giggle happily.

"Mmmmmmhmhmhmhmhmhmhmmm!" giggled Diddy with a smile plastered on his face as his uncle kissed him lovingly.

"I love you so much, little Diddy-buddy," said DK softly in Diddy's ear as he continued to cuddle him tightly.

"I love you so much, too, big Donkey-buddy," replied Diddy with such a cute smile.

"So, what do ya plan on doing today, little buddy?" asked DK.

"I'm gonna go on another date with Dixie!" answered Diddy excitedly.

Hearing that forced DK to fight back some giggles as he thought happily about his nephew's romantic relationship with Dixie.

"You know, I'm so excited for you that you finally have a monkey to hang out with almost every day," said DK happily.

"Aww, DK!" replied Diddy in a blushing chuckle, "I'm so happy to have one, too! Life sure hasn't been the same since Dixie entered my life!"

"You're such a lucky little monkey!" chuckled DK as he gave Diddy some more wiggles on his chest, making him giggle in ticklishness once again.

"Eeeekeeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeee!" laughed Diddy.

"I love everything about you when it comes to being my nephew, Diddy," said DK gently.

"Aww! DeeheeheeheeKahahahahay!" giggled Diddy happily.

"Well, little buddy, are ya ready to get going?" asked DK, "Brushed your teeth, and all that?"

"Yep!" answered Diddy, "Had my breakfast, brushed my teeth, showered myself with beautiful shampoo and everything! I'm so ready to go!"

No sooner did he say that when the doorbell rang.

Diddy instantly grew even more excited as he heard the sound of that doorbell. He immediately knew what that meant …

"It's Dixie!" the monkey shouted excitedly.

"I guess it's your lucky day, little Diddy-buddy!" chuckled DK.

Diddy immediately sprang off DK's lap and ran to the front door with so much excitement flowing through his veins. He couldn't wait to see Dixie's beautiful face!

The little monkey took a deep breath to calm himself down before he gently opened the front door …

Sure enough, there was Dixie; her delightful golden hair, pink clothes and gorgeous smile were now all Diddy could see! His eyes popped wide with wonder and happiness as he gazed into her.

"Hi, Dids!" greeted Dixie with her adorable voice.

"Hi, Dix!" replied Diddy excitedly.

Dixie took notice of Diddy's happy mood and couldn't help but smile at him.

"You look so excited today!" she commented.

"I am so excited, Dixie!" said Diddy eccentrically, "I can't wait to take a stroll to the beach and have so much fun with you!"

"Me neither, Diddy!" replied Dixie.

"Shall we?" asked Diddy.

"Yes, … we shall," answered Dixie.

"Have fun!" called DK from the living room sofa.

"Thanks, DK!" Diddy called back, "We will have fun! Lots of fun! See ya later, big buddy!"

"See ya later, little buddy!" replied DK.

Diddy closed the front door, then he took a moment to adore Dixie's irresistible looks. She looked as beautiful as ever on this Saturday morning!

"So, how are you today, my sweetie?" asked Diddy with his all-so-adorable monkey grin.

"I'm doing swell today, sweetheart," answered Dixie, "How about you?"

"I've doing great!" answered Diddy, "My uncle's as loving as ever for a family member, and everything at home is just as wonderful as ever!"

Dixie giggled at Diddy's happy words. She loved the sound of Diddy's voice when he was so happy and cheerful. It was music to her ears, just as her voice was to his.

"Well, wait are we waiting for, Dix!? Let's go!" said Diddy happily.

Not wanting to wait any longer, Diddy jumped off the porch and ran on all fours into the jungle.

"Hey! Wait for me, Dids!" shouted Dixie as she quickly jumped off and gave chase to her new boyfriend.

Diddy was running like a cheetah, only he couldn't match the speed of one. He felt that nothing could strike him down. With every step he took, he felt like the fastest runner on Kongo Bongo. He imagined that even his new girlfriend would struggle to keep up with him.

However, he barely completed about half of his journey to the beach when he looked back and noticed Dixie keeping up with him. This surprised him so much that he didn't know what to think of it. Diddy Kong could never imagine his speed being matched by anyone on Kongo Bongo!

Diddy tried to run faster, but he was seemingly going at his top speed. Dixie kept up with him throughout the rest of their journey until they reached the beach on the west coast of the island; the same beach where they first met.

The red-capped simian slowed to a stop to catch a breather, but he didn't get his chance to get his deep breaths as Dixie jumped onto him, and the two barrel-rolled down the sand and stopped next to a palm tree with Dixie on top of Diddy.

"Gotcha!" said Dixie eccentrically.

"Hey! Lemme up!" said Diddy with an evil look on his face.

Dixie spotted Diddy's evil look and only kept pinning him down.

However, Diddy wasn't just any ordinary monkey …

He shot himself up and brought Dixie down to the sand.

"Now, it's my turn!" Diddy shouted with an evil tone in his voice.

Dixie returned the evil look and gave her boyfriend another shove. In no time, the two playful monkeys were once again rolling around in the sand like a pair of little toddlers having so much fun.

It lasted for about ten seconds, while to them it felt like hours of rolling in the sand. It ended with Dixie on top of Diddy again.

"I win again!" said Dixie happily.

Diddy banged the back of his head against the sand, feeling defeated.

"I can beat DK so easily in this, but you're another story," commented Diddy in a slightly depressed tone.

"Aww, sweetie, don't take it so hard on yourself. After all, it's just a fun game where all that matters is how much fun we have," said Dixie in an effort to revive Diddy's mood of excitement.

Diddy looked into Dixie's eyes and could only grin at them. The way they shined created such a lovable sight that just about plastered a smile on his face.

"Your eyes are so beautiful," sighed Diddy, "I can't resist anymore. You're the most beautiful monkey I've ever seen in my life."

Dixie smiled and blushed at those words, feeling so much love sink into her heart. Then, she looked into Diddy's eyes and gazed at his smile. Every time he smiled, she found it to be so adorable that she wanted it to last forever.

"You have the most beautiful smile ever," commented Dixie, "If I could, I would make it last forever."

Diddy blushed as his smile grew even bigger. It now looked like nothing less than a pure monkey smile, which treated Dixie's eyes to an even more beautiful sight.

"I haven't felt so happy in my life before," said Diddy, "Ever since you entered my life, I've been so happy that there's no other way I can describe it."

"I feel the same," replied Dixie, "I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life, too. I've felt that way since we fell in love with each other."

"This may sound a little forward, … but … I feel like I want you to be mine forever," said Diddy.

Dixie's eyes grew wide with wonder as she heard those words. She felt so ecstatic to hear how much Diddy loved her romantically.

Dixie's wide eyes nearly worried Diddy. He feared that he may have gone a little too far by saying that, … but that worry was soon taken away by what came next …

Dixie lowered her head and planted a big kiss on Diddy's lips, making him blush even harder. It quickly grew to the point where Diddy had no choice but to return the romantic kiss. In no time, the two were sucking each others' faces as they lied together in the sand, hugging each other.

After what felt like ages, the two stopped kissing and smiled at each other some more.

"I love you so much, Dixie," said Diddy.

"I love you so much, too, Diddy," replied Dixie, "I want you to be mine forever, too."

Those words turned Diddy's cheeks as red as they ever had been during his young life. He had never felt so loved by someone outside his family before. Only just two weeks ago, he thought he would never experience such a thing like this, yet now here he was with a beautiful girlfriend who cared so much about him that he wished they could be together forever.

That wish would most certainly come true for Diddy Kong; who at one time was a monkey with a heart with no hope, yet now he was a monkey with a happy heart. Some of his classmates had finally stopped bullying him, his uncle DK would always be around to give him so much family love, and on the weekends he would have a girl who gave him so much romantic love.

Forever after, life for Diddy Kong would be so happy that he felt like the happiest little monkey on Kongo Bongo!

* * *

_**THE END**_

* * *

_**Well, folks, I hope you have enjoyed this wonderful story! All the pain I went through just to get it down has finally paid off! All of those periods of writer's block wiped away, all of those times when I was so busy doing other things finally wiped away long enough to complete this, and above all, so many changes for a little monkey's life!**_

_**I want to give special thanks to my girlfriend, Magiku Maggi-Dixie Kong for inspiring me to write this! I also want to give some thanks to DiddyKGal, Twin Cats and Sairey13 for all the support you gave me while I wrote this. I couldn't have pulled this off without all that support.**_

_**Above all, I want to thank all those Donkey Kong Country fans out there, and I'll see you next time with whatever my next DKC fanfic might be!**_

_**Until then, … goodnight … and good luck.**_

_**;)**_


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